Alex Dolan
BBC Look East weather

Cloud will clear from the north, bringing clear spells and a widespread hard frost. But after more cloud develops later in the night, temperatures should rise. Minimum temperature: -3C (26F).

Tomorrow will start cold with some bright spells, but cloud will increase from the north. This could bring sleet or light snow.

Maximum temperature 4-7C.

Ruby Tandoh, former Southend High School for Girls pupil and BBC Great British Bake Off finalist has taken to Twitter to defend herself against claims in the Daily Mail , externalthat she'd launched a "four letter tirade" at the food writer Ella Mills at a food and drink award ceremony in London.

The showbiz column by Sebastian Shakespeare claims she'd said "Wellness people with cook books to sell and money to make are dangerous as f***".

The column compared the women's Instagram followings, their personal lives and education (Southend High v Rugby School).

But Ms Tandoh said the person she'd made the comments to was actually a woman in the loo. 

Officers from Operation Scorpion, Essex Police's team dedicated to disrupting serious and organised crime gangs, are concerned about a series of robberies in the Braintree and Witham area which they suspect are linked and which are showing increasing levels of threat and intimidation.

The latest happened at the Co-op store in the Broadway, Silver End, on Monday evening.

The BBC's home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw has questioned the justice secretary Liz Truss over the death of Dean Saunders in HMP Chelmsford. 

While she acknowledged the failings in the prison service which were highlighted at his inquest, the BBC reporter was told "that's enough" when he asked if she would be apologising to the family.

Figures released by the Ministry of Justice today show that prison deaths reached record levels in 2016:

•   There were 119 self-inflicted deaths
•   29 more than the previous year 
•   The highest number since records began in 1978 

Mr Saunders, 25, from Basildon, among them. He died in January 2016. The Prisons Ombudsman this week found that the system had done little to protect a vulnerable inmate.

A cat has used up at least one of its lives after surviving a trip inside the engine of a van. 

The rescue was streamed live on Facebook by mechanics at Grays Advanced Service Centre, whose job it was to "de-cat" the vehicle.

Image source, Jay Beisser

Image source, Jay Beisser

The cat had got stuck between pipes and the gear linkage, and wrapped itself around the exhaust, in Terry's words: "It would have got a bit warm!"

Image source, Jay Beisser

The van had to go on a ramp while the team removed brackets, the under tray and the exhaust system. Below you can just see the exact moment when they managed to pull the reluctant pussy out of the top of the engine. It really had been hanging on.

Image source, Jay Beisser

The entire rescue was streamed live by Jay Beisser and has already been viewed more than 50,000 times. Jay told us, "I was getting ready to cancel the video if the cat was dead but as soon as we touched her we got a reaction. The video has been all over the world - you just put it on there for friends and family and now all these people have taken a liking to it."

Image source, Jay Beisser

Image source, Jay Beisser

Among those viewing was the cat's owner Sharley Fry, a neighbour of the van owner. 

It turns out the cat is called Daisy and I'm happy to report that she is well after her ordeal and "happily eating lots of chicken". 

Local MPs are to meet with business and transport representatives to discuss the progress made on the upgrade of the Ely railway junction.

The discussions, later this week, will look at the work required to improve road layout, level crossings and track upgrades.

The busy rail intersection is used by passenger and freight lines, including the following services:

• Norwich to Thetford, Brandon and Cambridge
• Norwich to Liverpool, via Peterborough
• Ipswich to Peterborough
• King's Lynn to London
• Wisbech to Cambridge
• Birmingham to Stansted
• Freight services from Felixstowe and King's Lynn

Image source, Geograph/Andy E

The original cost for the works to upgrade the Ely North junction were estimated at £35m. Network Rail now says it will be much more, due to complexities around the station layout, level crossings and signalling.  

Police say he got away with a three-figure sum at about 19:45 last Friday.

If you can help contact Det Sgt Stuart Knight at Colchester Police Station on 101. Or you can go anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 or www.crimestoppers-uk.org, external.  

Emma Barnett
BBC 5 Live

Leah Betts infamously died on her 18th birthday in 1995 after taking an ecstasy tablet.

An image of her in hospital, connected to a life support machine, was one of the most harrowing to be shown in the media in the 1990s.

Her father Paul had been a police officer and her step-mother Janet a nurse. There was nothing in her background or upbringing that could have pointed to a drug-related death.

Her parents became dedicated anti-drugs campaigners. 

Twenty one years on her father Paul has been talking to me about how they've coped with Leah's loss and legacy.

The Essex artist who created the iconic image of the Statue of Liberty with her head in her hands has been talking to the BBC about her work being appropriated on social media.

Image source, Gee Vaucher/Firstsite

The piece formally titled: Oh America, 1989, went viral when President Trump won the US election last year. 

Gee Vaucher came to prominence because of her work with the Epping-based punk band Crass in the 1970s, and an Introspective of her work , externalis currently on display at the Firstsite art gallery in Colchester.

She says the work was first appropriated after the attack on the twin towers: 

"It actually went semi-viral after 9/11 for the pain of what had happened, this time it's being used for the shame of what has happened. 

"Who knows how it will be used next time, maybe she's laughing behind her hands?

"People, as they have a right to, make what they want from a piece of work and that's the excitement of it all really."

Image source, Essex Police

Leslie Pennick's victims were aged six and nine when they were first sexually assaulted. 

His not guilty plea meant that the men, now in their 40s, were forced to relive their ordeal in court. 

Their bravery was praised by the investigating officer, Det Con Marcus Baker: "They were put through horrific ordeals at a very young age and the abuse they were subjected to has remained with them all their lives."

Pennick, 66, of Goldhanger Road in Heybridge, was jailed for 12 years for rape and indecent assault offences committed between 1982 and 1992.

Det Con Baker said he'd not shown any remorse or empathy towards his victims.

BBC Travel

The strike by RMT drivers is affecting services on the Central line, although the Waterloo and City line is running with a good service.

On the Central line, there is no service between Leytonstone and Epping/Woodford via Hainault and severe delays on the rest of the line.

A shuttle bus is operating between Epping and Chingford in north-east London with a service every 15 minutes.

No other Tube lines are affected by the walk out although they are expected to be busier.

There are minor delays between Liverpool Street and Enfield Town due to a signal failure at Bethnal Green.

Damage caused to rail tracks in Lewisham when a freight train derailed is expected to cause substantial disruption to Southeastern services and trains through London Blackfriars until the end of the week.

For the latest travel updates visit the BBC London travel page or follow @BBCTravelAlert, external

The father of the Basildon man whose suicide in Chelmsford jail highlighted 'serious failings' in the prison system says the government is being forced to take the crisis in our prisons seriously.

Dean Saunders was on remand for stabbing his father Mark, during a what was described as a paranoid episode. 

Yesterday the justice minister Liz Truss outlined her plans during a debate in the Commons.

Mr Saunders warned: "It is all very well making pledges and promises, but we want deadlines and results.

"Previous reports showed a clear pattern [of behaviour]. There've been recommendations but they weren't acted upon."

He said the government was acting like the current problems were "a surprise, when it's been slowly festering for years".

Nikki Jenkins
BBC Local Live

Colleagues of Professor Sir Nigel Rodley, have described him as "brilliant and unpretentious" and an "inspiring and generous human being".  

Sir Nigel, who helped found the University of Essex Human Rights Centre, has died at the age of 75. 

He dedicated his career to combating human rights violations through his involvement with the United Nations and Amnesty International.

Image source, PA

Centre director Dr Clara Sandoval said: "The human rights movement has lost one of its founding fathers. The School of Law and the Human Rights Centre have lost a brilliant and unpretentious colleague, an inspiring and generous human being and a wonderful mentor and friend." 

University of Essex vice-chancellor Professor Anthony Forster added: "He was an inspiration to many, many students and colleagues. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time."

Elizabeth Rizzini
BBC Look East weather

Today is due to feel like it's the coldest day of the year so far. We seem to have lost the fogginess but there'll be plenty of low grey cloud and a chilly, brisk south-easterly wind which will make it feel colder.

Maximum temperature: 1C (33F).   

Nikki Jenkins
BBC Local Live

We are here, we are ready to work, we are digging the foundations and we are ready to build a news wall. It's going to be good. 

Even better, we won't make Hertfordshire pay for it, it's going to be free.

Image source, Thinkstock

Sir Nigel Rodley, one of the "founding fathers" of the human rights movement, dies aged 75.

Nikki Jenkins
BBC Local Live

That's it from Local Live in Essex today. I'll be back from 8:00 and we'll update this feed if any major stories break overnight.

You can scroll back for news of today and meanwhile I leave you with some super cute puppy pictures of PD Diesel, who's exhausted just at the thought of training to chase the bad guys.

An innovative conservation project has been named as one of the most popular in the country.

Image source, RSPB

The Wallasea Island Wild Coast Project, external won third place in the People's Choice Award, external for the UK’s most popular civil engineering project.

In partnership with Crossrail, the RSPB is creating replacement wetland habitats whilst disposing of excavated material.

Those behind the project said it was the first time anyone had attempted to move material from London by water on this scale.

June Lumley, Rochford District Council’s portfolio holder for community, said: "This has been a tremendous feat of engineering so I am delighted to hear it has been recognised at a national level and presented with such a prestigious award."

BBC Weather

Staying cloudy and misty with some spots of drizzle or a few snow flakes, which could lead to icy patches on untreated surfaces.

Temperatures could get as low as -2C (28F) in frost-prone spots.

A cold start to the day tomorrow, although rather cloudy at first with some light snow flurries or spots of drizzle possible. Highs of 1-3C (34F-37F).

BBC Weather has more details. 

A water firm is set to trial using thermal imaging drones to detect leaking pipes.

Image source, Anglian Water

The new technology will be used by Anglian Water, external in rural areas near Braintree and Colchester over the coming months.

Emma Staples, from Anglian Water, said: "The drones are just the latest weapon in our £60m war on leakage."

Anglian Water said drones enabled it to cover large distances in a short space of time and pinpoint leaks by spotting changes in soil temperature.