Alex Dolan
BBC Look East weather

Staying fine and dry this evening across the BBC East region, with patchy cloud moving in from the north during the night.

It'll stay clear - but watch out - temperatures will drop to 2c (35F) and may even be low enough for a touch of ground frost.

Tomorrow will be another fine, dry day with sunny spells. Light winds - and highs of 13C (55F).

Orla Moore
BBC Local Live

A revamp is on the cards for the former Iceland on the corner of St Matthew's Street and Civic Drive in Ipswich - across the roundabout from us here at BBC Suffolk.

The empty supermarket building - along with the old Victoria pub site next door - is due to be transformed into an all-you-can-eat Spoon World Buffet restaurant, which serves a variety of cuisines from around the globe and has existing restaurants in Basildon and Chatham.

Kent-based Mighty Rhino Ltd is behind the planning application, which was approved by councillors today.

The firm wants to create 20 full-time and 20 part-time jobs, with capacity for 300+ diners.

Orla Moore
BBC Local Live

Image source, Suffolk Police

A man from Stowmarket has been jailed for raping three women in separate attacks in Suffolk and Essex.

Carl Tarigha, 29 of Sheringham Court, Milton Road, denied the charges, but was found guilty of all three offences at Ipswich Crown Court following a two-week trial in January.

He was sentenced today to 18 years in jail - and will serve a further four years on licence after his release.

His first victim was a 19-year-old woman in the Harwich area in the autumn of 2015, the other two took place in his flat in Stowmarket in 2016. The victims were 18 and 29-years-old.

Officer in the case, external , PC Penny Howell, said: "Carl Tarigha is a sexual predator who subjected his victims to cold, calculated and violent attacks, not only raping them but inflicting other physical assaults on them.

"He also threatened to kill one of the victims.

"No prison term will ever make up for the trauma and distress endured by these three brave young women."

Plans to fund an extension at the entrance to Southend Pier have been approved by the borough council.

Image source, Google

The local council, which owns the pier, says the extension will help attract more visitors to the seafront. 

The £300,000 of funding was approved in the authority's budget for this financial year.

A report to the council says: "The existing front area of the amusement arcade is proposed to be demolished and rebuilt and the internal wall between the arcade and pier entrance demolished.

"The design is simple with a curved wall to echo the existing entrance, and an oversailing squared-off roof to protect against the sun in summer."

The East of England Ambulance Service has been set a lower target to reach life-threatening calls.

Previously, the NHS trust had to reach 75% of these calls within eight minutes... that's now been lowered to 68.5% within the same time.

Kevin Brown, from the East of England Ambulance Service, external , says it doesn't mean patients are waiting longer.

Nic Rigby
BBC News

Plans to build up to 118 new homes on green fields (pictured) on the edge of Ardleigh, near Colchester, have been rejected by a government inspector.

Image source, Google

Gladman Developments and David Salmon made a planning application last year to Tendring District Council, external to build the houses, which included up to 25% "affordable" homes, on land off Wick Lane.  

But this was rejected by councillors.  

The developers appealed to the government, but this has been rejected by planning inspector Richard Allen, external .

He said the area had few amenities capable of sustaining the everyday needs of those who would live in the development.

Mr Allen added: “In my opinion the future occupiers would be heavily reliant on the need to travel outside of the village for almost all services and facilities and for access to employment." 

Some 84 years ago this month the P&O liner SS Rawalpindi was photographed at Tilbury docks. The ship was requisitioned by the Royal Navy in August 1939.

Image source, get

As HMS Rawalpindi the ship served as an armed merchant cruiser until it was unfortunate to come across two of the most powerful warships of the German navy, the Scharnhorst and the Gneisenau, in November 1939.

The ship was sunk after the captain refused to surrender.

Nic Rigby
BBC News

Rollerworld in Colchester has apologised to customers after having to close for a number of days due to "circumstances beyond our control".

Image source, Google

The firm, based at Moorside Road, posted on its Facebook page: "We apologise to all our guests and are deeply embarrassed that for the first time in over 25 years we will have to let down our customers in this way."

Rollerworld says it was closed on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Manager Andy Star said he could not add anything at this stage, but would be updating the  Facebook page, external  and the  Rollerworld website, external  with a comment later.

UKIP's Mark Reckless has confirmed he is joining the Welsh Conservative group in the assembly.

Mr Reckless, the former Rochester and Strood MP, was elected as a regional AM in South Wales East. He will sit as an independent but vote with the Tories.

His addition will make the Welsh Conservative group the second largest in the Senedd.

The Conservatives say they will now be seen as the official opposition to the Welsh Labour-led government.

In a statement, Mr Reckless said he had been "thoroughly impressed by the performance and discipline of Andrew RT Davies and the Welsh Conservative group."

Read the full story here .

Highways England said litter and human waste in laybys in Essex was becoming "a hazard to health".

Orla Moore
BBC Local Live

Image source, Just Giving

It's emerged that the police officers, who're potentially facing criminal charges over the death of a man after his arrest at a holiday camp, have not been suspended from duty.

Paul Gladwell, 38, of Colchester, was detained by staff at Pontins in Pakefield, Suffolk, on 14 February.  

He was then arrested by police on suspicion of assault - and became ill on his way to custody in Great Yarmouth and died at the James Paget Hospital.

Suffolk Police say: "The officers have not been placed on restricted duties or suspended at this time, although supervisory and support measures have been put in place while the investigation continues."

Meanwhile the force is also investigating events involving other holiday makers and Pontins security staff in the run-up to the police's arrival.

A statement added: "Suffolk Police are investigating the incident up to the time officers arrived at the scene and our inquiries continue. There have been no arrests made at this time."

Nic Rigby
BBC News

Unilever, which has its UK base in Purfleet, is to offload some of its best known brands, including Flora and Stork, as it revamps the business after batting off a $143bn (£115bn) takeover attempt from Kraft Heinz. 

Image source, PA

The Anglo-Dutch consumer goods giant concluded that the future of its underperforming spreads business, which also includes I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, "now lies outside the group". 

Unilever said: "The underlying category remains challenged in developed markets and we have now taken the decision to launch a process to either sell or demerge spreads."

The sale of the division could yield up to £6bn for the group and a number of private equity groups are thought to be weighing up bids.

We've been reporting on the story of a Dorset mother Pauline Symes concerned that her autistic son Ben has been in care nearly 200 miles away in Essex for almost a year.

A Department of Health spokesman told the BBC: "It is unacceptable for people to be sent long distances for care when they need the support of friends and family the most.

"That's why we committed to a national ambition to eliminate inappropriate out-of-area placements by 2020-21." 

Mother risks fine by taking daughter on holiday in term time:

Newmarket Journal

Shaun Whiter, the Essex estate agent who played football for Soham Town Rangers, lost his legs after a car crashed into him near Newmarket.

With the County Championship season starting on Friday, BBC Sport takes a look at some of the main talking points.

A new £130m arrivals terminal is to be built at London Stansted Airport.

Sarah Jenkins
BBC Local Live

One year ago it became compulsory for all dogs in England to be microchipped. 

However, new figures from  Dog's Trust, external show that 70,000 dog owners in the East haven't got their pets microchipped and are breaking the law. 

The law was introduced in the hope it would make it easier to reunite stray or lost dogs with their owners.

Image source, PA

When a dog is microchipped, a tiny chip about the size of a grain of rice is inserted under the loose skin on the back of its neck, giving it a unique 15-digit code.

Lee Paris from Dogs Trust says some owners are "nervous" about the process, but he can "assure anyone that it doesn't hurt the dog at all". 

Dog owners who have not had their pets microchipped could face a fine of up to £500 .

A mother from Dorset has spoken to the BBC about her autistic son being placed in care nearly 200 miles away in Essex:

Nic Rigby
BBC News

A mother from Bournemouth, whose autistic son has been placed in care in north east Essex, says the situation means she hasn't seen him for almost a year.

Image source, Pauline Symes

Ben Symes, 30, suffers from autism and mental health problems. He's currently about 190 miles from home in a unit near Great Bentley.

Ben's mum Pauline says it's really affected her whole family.

"He wants to be back with his family. We need to see an end to this terrible situation," she said.

The local NHS trust, Dorset Healthcare, said: "We are not able to comment on individual cases.

"Dorset HealthCare is fully committed to working with partner organisations to provide the highest quality of care for everyone who accesses our services."

Bournemouth Council has yet to comment.