Elizabeth Rizzini
BBC Look East weather

There's a north/south split in today's forecast. 

It's cloudy in the north, and also a bit milder, and cold and frosty in the south but this is where we should see the best of the sunshine throughout the course of the day. 

Towards parts of Northampton, Bedford and Norwich we're starting above freezing, and there's plenty of cloud here, perhaps a few spots of drizzle, but generally dry just about everywhere. 

Towards the south we've got lots of sunshine around. 

Top temperatures about 4C to 5C (39F-41F).

Watch my full regional forecast here:

Philippa Taylor
BBC Local Live

Welcome back to our live coverage.

One of the stories we'll be looking at is a report which reveals a sharp rise in bullying and violence at Chelmsford Prison.

But we'll begin with a look at the day's weather prospects, which Elizabeth Rizzini will bring us next .

Southend United sign former Coventry and Gillingham striker Frank Nouble on a contract until the end of the season.

It's goodbye from the Essex Live team for now - we'll be be back from 08:00 tomorrow, with the latest news, sport, weather and traffic, although any breaking stories overnight will also appear here.

You can read all the day's stories by scrolling down the page.

Weather wise - it's been glorious in Essex, as you can see from this sunset from BBC Weather Watcher MrWobbly in Gestingthorpe.

Image source, BBC Weather Watcher/MrWobbly

Here's the moment Peter Taylor opened Canvey Island FC's new clubhouse...

Katy Prickett
BBC News

Shooty and the Bang Bang acknowledge there are "much more worthy causes on Crowdfunder than us" - which is why they decided to come up with incentives to "give back" to their supporters.

Bassist Sam Fraser said: "We were just getting ready to record a debut album, but we can't even rehearse."

As well as Sam's offer to pose naked for a life drawing class and the offer to clean your house (both at £1,000) - the band is offering you a personally written song (for £300), cook you a meal (£200) and naming rights to a track on their new album.

Image source, Lala Photography@Joli Studio

Katy Prickett
BBC News

Shooty and the Bang Bang "can't function as a band" without their equipment which was stolen, according to bassist and backing vocalist Sam Fraser.

The Colchester-based group have turned to Crowdfunder to raise £12,000, external needed to replace equipment, including guitars, amps, pedal boards and microphones, stolen from a car during a Boxing Day gig.

Image source, Lala Photography@Joli Studio

Some of the equipment was owned by The Vera Lones, another Colchester-based band, "so they can't play as well".

Sam said: "We were keen to do something rather than wallowing in self-pity.

"But it's a huge target for such a small band."

BBC Weather

Staying mainly dry across the region, with clear spells in the southeast, but otherwise mostly cloudy. 

Temperatures will fall widely, perhaps as low as -2C to -5C (mid 20s F), in Essex, but 2C to 3C (mid 30s F) across Northamptonshire and northwestern parts of Cambridgeshire - with the potential of mist and fog patches.

Tomorrow will stay chilly under rather cloudy skies, with mist and fog slow to clear in northwestern parts of the region.

BBC Weather has more local forecasts.

Richard Smith
BBC Essex

Former interim England manager Peter Taylor has been in Canvey today. 

He returned to his boyhood club, Canvey Island FC, external, to open their new clubhouse.

Chris Flynn
BBC Essex

An inmate who was found electrocuted in his cell did not speak to his family the whole time he was in prison, an inquest has heard.

Chelmsford Prison governor Steve Rodford said the person in charge of the phone system was off at the time Dean Saunders was in custody. 

Mr Saunders was taken to HMP Chelmsford on 18 December 2015 and died on 4 January 2016.

Mr Rodford said the prison service has a duty of care to make sure prisoners can speak to family members.

"Common sense should have been used," he said.

Mr Rodford started as the governor two weeks after Mr Saunders' death.

He said prisoners were now asked if they wanted their family involved in assessment, care in custody and teamwork (ACCT) reviews.

He said there was now a phone line for families.

Nick Alliker
BBC Essex

It looks like the Tesco at Brook Retail Park in Clacton is returning to normal after this morning's attempted robbery...

Nick Alliker
BBC Essex

A "very large team" of officers are trying to trace the men involved in an attempted robbery in Clacton this morning.

Shots were fired during the incident, but the men fled empty-handed from their attempt to steal money from cash machines.

Supt Steve Johnson said it appeared to be "a pre-planned robbery".

"This is clearly a very serious offence and appears to be a planned attack with a view to steal cash - thankfully no-one was harmed."

He added it was "a very unusual offence". 

A father describes how he walked on to a knife held by his mentally ill son to prevent his son harming himself.

Colchester United sign striker Eli Phipps from Cardiff City for an undisclosed fee in an 18-month deal.

Chris Flynn
BBC Essex

A doctor has told an inquest jury that an inmate who was found electrocuted in his cell "should not have been in prison".

Image source, Family Photo

Dean Saunders, 25, died at HMP Chelmsford in January 2016.

He had been arrested after he stabbed his father during a paranoid episode.

Dr Sarah Bromley, director of Care UK, told the hearing in Chelmsford: "He was clearly unwell and prison was not the right place to be."

She said she was "surprised" that the prison's head of healthcare was one of three who took Mr Saunders off suicide watch.

She said it was not in Amanda De La Bruyere's remit because of a "conflict of interest". 

Nick Alliker
BBC Essex

Four people have been taken to hospital after a lorry and three buses were involved in a multi-vehicle crash earlier.

Essex Police said none of the patients had serious or life-threatening injuries. 

Officers were called to High Road in Thornwood at about 10:40. The road was closed for several hours.

Nick Alliker
BBC Essex

We brought you news earlier about a big bang at the police headquarters in Chelmsford.

It was a controlled explosion and officers sent out a tweet reassuring residents it was nothing to worry about.

They were getting rid of a live, black powder firearm, which had been handed over to the police legitimately.

Nick Alliker
BBC Essex

A woman who was trying to get to Tesco shortly after the attempted armed robbery at the Brook Retail Park this morning initially thought there'd been a car accident.

Anne told BBC Essex: "Once I got through I could see several armed police and several police cars and a security van.

"They were all taped off and the cash machines were taped off too."

Essex Police says it doesn't believe the men involved pose a threat to any members of the wider community. The force is calling for witnesses to come forward.

Nick Alliker
BBC Essex

Two men fled empty handed after they attempted to force a pair of security guards to open cash machines at a retail park at Clacton.

Essex Police said one of the suspects had what appeared to be a firearm and two shots were fired, but no-one was injured. 

The incident happened at Tesco, in the Brook Retail Park, just before 11:40.

The men fled in a silver or grey car which may have had a third person inside. Police are appealing for witnesses.

Armed robbers fired two shots during an attempted hold-up outside a supermarket, police say.