Nikki Jenkins
BBC Local Live

Good morning Essex. It's the first of the month - pinch, punch and all that - and it's the first day of lent: Well the good news is, we're not giving up news!

We'll be keeping up to date with developments in the Ukip leadership row; Mark Saunders, whose son died in HMP Chelmsford, is at Westminster for a debate into prison deaths; and we are awaiting the results of a post-mortem examination into the death of Yeni the baby pygmy hippo at Colchester Zoo.

Welcome to March.

Grimsby Town revive their League Two play-off hopes with victory over Colchester United at Blundell Park.

Braintree move six points clear of the relegation zone after a stormy win at nine-man Bromley.

Trapped animal rescued after dogs alert owner to open drain.

Patrick Byrne
BBC News

That's it from the Essex Live team today, so goodbye and we hope you enjoy any pancakes you will have for supper.

We'll be back from 08:00 on tomorrow, bringing you the news, sport, travel and weather updates as they happen.

Here's a taste of the stories we covered today:

• Lorry driver admits guilt over steam engine crash that injured six people
• Ukip donor  Arron Banks threatens  to stand against the party's only MP, Clacton's Douglas Carswell
• Sousse terror survivor angry over "cowardly" Tunisian police

If there's anything you wish to share with us overnight you can contact us on email , Facebook, external or Twitter, external . 

A badger has been rescued from a 10ft-deep drain after a dog walker was dragged to the spot by her pets.

The woman was walking her dogs in Brentwood on 21 February when she was pulled to an uncovered drain.

RSPCA officer Joe White said he had to lie flat and "really stretch" to pull the animal to safety.

Image source, RSPCA

"He was very feisty," Mr White said.

"He appeared well so I decided to release him instead of subjecting him to any more stress." 

Julie Reinger
BBC Look East weather

It will be a cloudy start to the night, with showers and longer spells of rain continuing to push in from the west.

Skies will then clear and temperatures could fall low enough in some sheltered spots to allow a frost.

Wednesday will get off to a cold and bright start.

Thicker cloud and rain will eventually push in from the south-west, but there is still some uncertainty as to how quickly this will happen, and how far north the rain will get during daylight hours. 

There'll be light to moderate south-westerly winds and highs of 9C (48F).

BBC Weather  has a more detailed forecast for where you live.  

Richard Smith
BBC Essex

Voters in Clacton believe anyone mounting an election challenge against their sitting MP Douglas Carswell would have a difficult time.

Samuel Kibble rates him highly as a local MP who helped his family at a time of illness. 

"Politicians often have disagreements and you can accept these if they are doing a good job and I believe Mr Carswell is a good local MP," he said.

Other residents have also praised his work on behalf of the community in the Essex seaside town.

Alison, who did not give her surname, said Mr Carswell had always concentrated on local interests and should stay on, no matter how much pressure he was under.

"What he is doing for the town is right and he has a lot of support among local people," she said.

"He has walked out on a party before [Ukip MP Mr Carswell was first elected as a Conservative] and he could do it again. Ukip is also falling apart at the moment," she said. 

Andrew Woodger
BBC News

As the defence continues in the trial of a man accused of murdering Peter and Sylvia Stuart, the defendant has been asked about tattoos on his shoulders.

The man, who says he is Vital Dapi, says he has an eagle on his left shoulder, but that it is has one head, unlike the double-headed eagle on the Albanian flag. 

On his right shoulder is a picture of a lion. 

Max Hill, his defence counsel, asked if he had any bullet wounds or scars, and he said he did not. 

He also said he would be prepared to show his tattoos and lack of scars to the court, but he has not been asked to do so yet.

The defendant says he travelled to Greece from Albania in January 2016 and described looking for work by going to Omonia Square in Athens in the hope of getting hired. 

He says he planned to travel to Luxembourg in May last year.

Patrick Byrne
BBC News

Yeni, the pygmy hippo calf born on 22 January, has died at Colchester Zoo.

Keepers found Yeni "in an unresponsive state" this morning after seeing her mother Venus nudging her for movement.  

Image source, Colchester Zoo

It is believed the calf had died during the early hours. 

"Yeni was happily swimming in the pool with Venus just the day before and there were no unusual signs to suggest anything could possibly be wrong," a zoo statement said. 

 A post-mortem examination will be carried out to determine the cause of death but at this time it remains unknown.

Curator Sarah Forsyth said: "Yeni's passing is a very sad lost to Colchester Zoo and her keepers are understandably distraught but are focusing on Venus to help her through this tough time."

The defendant has told Ipswich Crown Court that on 4 June he left Athens by road having paid 300 Euro to get to Luxembourg in a caravan. 

Peter and Sylvia Stuart, who were last seen in Pulham Market on 29 May, were reported missing from their home in Weybread on 3 June and Mr Stuart's body was found that evening. 

The defendant, who the prosecution says lived in Tilbury, says he arrived in Luxembourg on 6 June having travelled via Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia, Hungary, Austria and Germany. 

He separated from his fellow travellers in Luxembourg City. 

He said he had had to leave his passport with the people who arranged his travel and did not have it any more.

Samantha Dalton
BBC Essex

A 53-year-old lorry driver has admitted dangerous driving after six people were seriously injured when a steam engine came loose from the back of a lorry and crashed into a bus in Essex. 

Philip Last, of Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, was at the wheel of a low-loader in West Mersea, where the crash happened on 23 September, 2015.

He pleaded guilty to six counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving on the first day of a trial at Ipswich Crown Court. 

"Your negligence in securing your load had obviously very grave consequences," Judge David Goodin said.

"At the forefront of my mind is an immediate custodial sentence." 

The case was adjourned until 22 March for pre-sentence reports.

The man accused of murdering a couple in Suffolk claims he had never even been to the UK before his arrest, a court hears.

BBC Essex

A points failure just south of Witham Station has resulted in the closure of the line between Witham and Braintree.Greater Anglia services between Liverpool Street and Colchester, Clacton on Sea, Ipswich and Norwich are still able to run between Witham and Colchester.

However, all trains in both directions will be using the Witham-bound line between Witham and Kelvedon.

People across Essex have been expressing their true beliefs about Brexit as political reporter Simon Dedman treks across the county ask what they want to see in the final deal.

Andrew Woodger
BBC News

The trial at Ipswich Crown Court, of a man accused of the murder of Peter and Sylvia Stuart from Weybread, has resumed after a break for lunch.

The defendant, who says he is Vital Dapi while the prosecution say he is actually Ali Qazimaj, says his father died in 2005 and his mother in 2012. 

He said he left school in Albania in 1989/90 and joined the army, which was compulsory at that time. 

He became a corporal, worked with "special forces" and left the forces in 1993. 

Initially, he worked as a security guard for his uncle, he said.

The defendant denies the charges.

Andrew Sinclair
BBC Look East political correspondent

We've been here before. Douglas Carswell's style of doing politics has often put him at odds with Ukip's leadership and he's used to being summoned to explain himself. 

Both he and former leader Nigel Farage have never made any secret of the fact that they don't get on. Mr Farage shouldn't be that surprised that Mr Carswell wasn't keen on the idea of him having a peerage or a knighthood.

Image source, Gareth Fuller/PA Wire

What's really behind this row is the future direction of Ukip.

Douglas Carswell wants a softer, "less nasty" (his words) image while others in the party want to be more combative and pursue more extreme policies. Sacking him would make life much easier for his opponents and help Ukip present a more united front.

But would the party really get rid of its only MP in a week especially when it has just failed to win two by-elections (in which Mr Carswell loyally campaigned) and its new leader Paul Nuttall has come in for criticism over claims made about his past?

There wouldn't be a by-election. Mr Carswell has told me before that if he was sacked by Ukip he would sit in the house as an independent, something which I sense he would quite enjoy and which his constituents in Clacton probably wouldn't mind.

And Ukip would lose its voice in Westminster.

You should never make guesses when it comes to Ukip but I would expect Mr Carswell to be be gently rapped over the knuckles and agree to be more circumspect in the future and the MP for Clacton will live to fight another day.

BBC Essex's political reporter Simon Dedman is building up a Brexit wish list for Essex residents as he travels the county asking them what they think would be best for them.

BBC Weather Watchers

A bright or sunny afternoon but with scattered showers and some could will be heavy with hail possible. 

Our Weather Watchers have been out and for some animals it's even too hot, but for alpacas used to a more rigorous climate, the clear skies and sunshine were just right.

For shoppers a trip around the high street would be a real treat.

Image source, pepperpot

Image source, ebb&flow

Image source, LesP

It will also be fairly breezy during the afternoon and it'll feel cold in the wind. 

Maximum temperature: 8C (46F).

More details from BBC Weather .

Andrew Woodger
BBC News

The Weybread murders trial at Ipswich Crown Court has broken for lunch. We'll bring you more coverage this afternoon.