Coronavirus: East of England live updates

1. All the latest from Beds, Bucks, Cambs, Essex, Herts, Norfolk, Northants and Suffolk
2. The latest daily statistics show a rise of 25 deaths in the East of England taking the total to 3,659.
3. Newmarket 'relief' as it prepares to restage the first classic races of the season
4. Zoo asks public to choose names for cheetah cubs in honour of NHS
5. Queues at Ikea as more shops open from today
6. Mother says her twins 'having a ball' on return to school

Monday's updates as they happened

Thanks for joining us to find out how the East of England is reacting to the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown.

Live updates have now finished for the day

Join us again on Tuesday when a live page will resume at 08:00.

Find it via your BBC News county index.

Seaside pier reopening after lockdown

Cromer Pier is reopening for residents and visitors to walk along.

The council is advising people to bring their own hand sanitisers if they touch surfaces, and not to proceed onto the pier if it looks busy.

The theatre, restuarant and gift shop remain closed.

Suffolk sees more than 1,500 Covid-19 cases

Nic Rigby

BBC News

The number of cases of coronavirus in Suffolk stands at 1,502 according to the latest figures.

That's up from 1,464 confirmed cases at the beginning of last week.

BBC

A breakdown of the number of cases by district council area shows that of those tested there are 348 cases in Ipswich, 608 in East Suffolk, 174 in Mid Suffolk, 147 in Babergh and 225 in West Suffolk.

Ipswich with 253 cases per 100,000 of the population has the highest number of cases relative to the size of its population.

But the borough only saw three more cases this week compared to last week.

Snooker event among first post-lockdown events

It has been almost three months since live sport was staged in the UK, but today things are starting to get back to normal.

Snooker is among the sports leading the way with the staging of the Championship League in Milton Keynes.

It follows the government's 'phase three' guidance which paves the way for competition to return.

Star names including world champion Judd Trump, Ronnie O'Sullivan, Mark Selby and Neil Robertson have all entered, with matches taking place behind closed doors and broadcast on free-to-air television.

The promoter, Matchroom Multi Sport, said Covid-19 testing of all players and staff over the weekend returned negative results.

Shielding MP to drive to Commons for 'virtual parliament' vote

Harlow MP Robert Halfon, who is shielding himself during the coronavirus pandemic due to a health condition, is planning to go to the House of Commons under protest to vote for a virtual parliament.

Mr Halfon was born with mild cerebral palsy. He has since developed osteoarthritis due in part to many operations, and walks using crutches.

His fellow Conservative, Leader of the House Jacob Rees-Mogg, has scrapped the temporary electronic voting system which has allowed MPs not to have to attend Parliament in person.

MPs will vote on Tuesday night on how the House of Commons will work from now on, but they'll have to be there to do it.

Mr Halfon had tweeted on Friday asking Mr Rees-Mogg not to "snip away at democratic right of MPs who genuinely can't come in" as that would risk turning those MPs into "Parliamentary Eunuchs".

Mr Rees-Mogg has previously said the hybrid system of having some MPs in the chamber and others video-conferencing had cut the time available for debating legislation by around two thirds, and prevented "proper scrutiny" of the government.

"We will not be returning to the crowded, bustling chamber of old," he said, adding MPs would be returning to a "safe working environment".

Animal 'Strava art' keeps parkrunners motivated

Pigeon racing first sport to return after lockdown

Womans coughs in face of police officer

A 39-year-old woman has been charged with coughing at a police officer in Newmarket and attempted robbery.

On Thursday morning, a 19-year-old woman was walking along The Avenue, when another woman grabbed her bag which was across her shoulder.

A brief struggle ensued, which resulted in the victim falling to the floor, but she managed to keep hold of the bag and get away from the offender.

A woman was later arrested and coughed in the face of a police officer claiming she had coronavirus, said Suffolk Police.

The accused is due to appear at Ipswich Crown Court later this month.

What the papers say in Bedfordshire

• Luton Today writes that Luton Airport has halted its expansion plans amid the coronavirus pandemic
• The Biggleswade Chronicle has news of a boy raising funds for the NHS using his scooter
• And the Bedford Independent writes that beauty spots in the town are being tarnished by overflowing bins

Video appeal over park littering

A council in Essex has published a video of people littering one of its parks to highlight its concerns:

Priory grounds in Ware reopen

The Priory grounds in Ware in Hertfordshire have reopened:

Boost of £250,000 for Essex Citizens Advice

Nic Rigby

BBC News

The Citizens Advice network in Essex is getting £250,000 of funding to help it provide help to individuals and small businesses during the Covid-19 lockdown.

Getty Images

Each year, local Citizens Advice supports thousands of people in financial difficulty and this has increasingly included sole traders and small business owners

Most businesses in Essex are small - 91% have between one and nine employees.

The funding from Essex County Council will help Citizens Advice provide support and legal advice in areas such as employment advice to small businesses.

Cobblers back in training

Northampton Town's footballers have returned to training as they wait for confirmation that the League Two promotion play-offs will go ahead.

Clubs in League Two, including Northampton, Cambridge, Stevenage and Colchester voted to end their season with nine regular season games to play amid the coronavirus pandemic.

But they hope to retain the play-offs, subject to English Football League ratification on 8 June.

• BBC Sport: EFL League Two

Mum wary of school return after virus 'fright'

Twin girls' joy at getting back to school

Nic Rigby

BBC News

A mother of twin girls has described their joy at going back to school as lessons resume for children, who can now rejoin the offspring of non-key workers.

Dee Aldrich

Parents of primary school children in reception, year one and year six have been allowed to choose whether or not to send their offspring back as part of the latest phase in the relaxation of the coronavirus lockdown.

Dee Aldrich from Harlow, Essex, has two five-year-old girls Poppy and Daisy in reception at Abbotsweld Primary Academy.

She said they were having an amazing time and the school had been great at keeping them socially distanced. She said the children managed to stick to the rules of no contact.

Out of the 15 in their class, only five went back, including Dee's two.

"The twins are not working at home very well. They don't want to do the work set for them. They've absolutely had a ball today," she said.

"I am working from home full-time - I work as a legal secretary. The way the staff are structuring returning to school has been great."

What the papers say in Cambridgeshire

• Cambridge News reports that the City Council has called for a new long-term strategy needed to help rough sleepers after the coronavirus pandemic
• The Peterborough Telegraph writes that the city's cathedral is "feeling the pinch" as it awaits permission to reopen
• And the Wisbech Standard has news of a "colourful" procession of tractors paying tribute to key workers

Silverstone races given go-ahead

By Andrew Benson

Chief F1 writer

Zoo to dedicate cubs' names to NHS

Colchester Zoo is asking for the public's help to name three cheetah cubs born during the coronavirus pandemic.

In a tribute to the health service, the three cubs will be named with monikers beginning with N, H and S. The names shortlisted are:

N : Noble , Nika , NovaH : Hope , Havana , HaruniS : Sarafina , Sarabi , Star

The zoo, which has been closed to visitors, is asking for a £1 donation per vote.

Ikea store reopens with long queues

Furniture and home furnishings giant Ikea has reopened its Milton Keynes store for the first time since lockdown - with long queues already forming.

The store, close to Bletcham Way, is one of 19 in England being reopened by the Swedish firm.

Social distancing measures will be in place for shoppers who brave the queues, but the stores restaurant and children's play area remain closed.

BBC

BBC

BBC Breakfast: Live from the classroom

BBC Breakfast

Reporter John Maguire takes us around a Year 1 classroom at Roade Primary School in Northampton.