Ben Parker
BBC Suffolk sport

New Ipswich Town signing Grant Ward has confirmed he is fit to face Barnsley in the season opener at Portman Road on Saturday.

The midfielder has missed a few weeks with a strain, but said if boss Mick McCarthy selects him he would be available. 

With a shortage of wingers at the club the manager may need to call on him sooner rather than later.

Ward certainly sounds up to it: "I'm feeling good, feeling I'm ready to go, looking forward to it."

Katy Sealy, the Ipswich Harriers athlete who is representing Belize at Rio 2016, has landed:

Ben Parker
BBC Suffolk sport

New Ipswich Town, external signing Grant Ward has been speaking to the press for the first time since his move.

The 21-year-old joined from Tottenham on Monday in a deal thought to be worth around the £500,000 mark.

Image source, Getty Images

Ward (pictured with Harry Kane) has wasted no time telling of his ambition for his new club this season: "I think we can definitely make the play offs... minimum."  

"A 56-day ban doesn't send out a strong enough message" says Suffolk Police, after Lakenheath man Louie Howlett, 21, appeared before magistrates in Bury St Edmunds having been recorded driving at 154mph on the A11.

Inspector David Giles said: "I don't think it is enough at all. I'm really disappointed frankly.

"It's not a real incentive to stick within the speed limit, in my opinion."

Police say that the 154mph recorded by a Lakenheath driver on the A11 earlier this year is a "disgraceful" speed and "massively unsafe".

Guy Campbell
BBC Radio Suffolk

I'm here at RSPB Minsmere, external, and as we mentioned earlier, the presence of the rare purple swamphen is bringing twitchers in to see if they can spot it:

Andrew Sinclair
BBC Look East political correspondent

More than 40 farmers gathered in Hunworth near Holt this morning to discuss the impact of Brexit on agriculture.

It was the first of a number of meetings organised by the National Farmers Union, external to try to find out what farmers feel are the most important things that need to be in the forthcoming negotiations with Brussels and the UK government.

Robert Sheasby, regional director of the NFU, says it's important to "get it right as good trade deals, access to migrant labour and a continuation of subsidies are top of farmers' concerns."

Philippa Taylor
BBC Local Live

Following on from the story we brought you yesterday about the waterspout seen off the coast at Aldeburgh, we've spotted this on the up-for-a-laugh website the Suffolk Gazette, external:

"North sea fish including cod and plaice were hurled 15 miles inland by the huge waterspout which appeared off the coast this weekend."

One reader is quoted as saying it must have been his lucky day as he and his wife "had a lovely fish supper".

Luke Deal
BBC Radio Suffolk

The Blue Cross Centre, external at Wherstead near Ipswich has taken in a record number of unwanted kittens this year, which has led to the charity urging owners to consider having their pets neutered.

Manager Andy Gillon says they've already re-homed 75 kittens this year, and currently have 23 waiting for new homes.

He said: "There's been a large influx over the last couple of months where the kitten season has really exploded, so we're seeing a lot coming through our doors.

"Cats are out and about and they're wandering around and there's no control on them.

"If you have a pet cat it's vital that you get them neutered."

A 21-year-old man has been banned from driving for 56 days for driving at more than twice the speed limit in Suffolk.

Louie Howlett, of High Street, Lakenheath was clocked doing 154mph (248km/h) by police in April while heading southbound on the A11 at Icklingham - a road with a 70mph (110km/h) speed limit.

He admitted the speeding offence and magistrates in Bury St Edmunds have handed him the ban and also ordered him to pay a total of £365 in fines and costs.

A 21-year-old motorist has been banned from driving for 56 days after being clocked doing 154mph (248km/h) on the A11 in Suffolk.

More to follow...

TWTD.co.uk

Town boss Mick McCarthy has hinted that senior central defenders Christophe Berra and Tommy Smith will be battling it out, external for the left-sided central defensive berth with the right-footed Adam Webster having been added to the squad from Portsmouth over the summer. 

Ben Parker
BBC Suffolk sport

Suffolk's cricketers, external are up against it if they want to win their latest Minor Counties, external match against Staffordshire today at Ipswich High School. 

It's the third and final day of the tie and with the visitors 167 runs ahead with seven second innings wickets still standing, Suffolk's bowlers will have to act fast.

Image source, Getty Images

Suffolk's captain Tom Huggins (pictured), who plays his last match for the side, is going out in some style. 

An unbeaten 168 in the first innings fell just two runs short of his all-time record. 

Huggins said it was an important moment to him: "It was emotional, I’ve spent 11 years playing, I’ve played 60-odd matches and I’m going to miss everyone."

The match was due to resume at 12:00, but rain has delayed the start.

Ben Parker
BBC Suffolk sport

A young Ipswich Town, external XI visited Ryman Premier side AFC Sudbury, external last night for what turned out to be a nine-goal thriller, finishing 5-4 to the hosts with Sudbury's Craig Parker scoring the winner in stoppage time.     

Image source, Pagepix Ltd

The Ipswich team featured talented youngsters such as Andre Dozzell (pictured), Paul Digby and Cameron Stewart, who will all be hoping to break into the first eleven this season.

Boss Mick McCarthy was at the match alongside assistant Terry Connor and, while he may have been impressed with the team going forward, defensively there would be concerns.

Ipswich Town get their season under way on Saturday with Barnsley the visitors to Portman Road.

A Lakenheath man is due to be sentenced later after being recorded driving at 154mph (248 km/h) in Suffolk.

Louie Howlett, 21, of High Street, Lakenheath, was clocked by a police laser gun while he was driving a Seat Leon on the southbound carriageway of the A11 at Icklingham on 18 April.

It's believed to be one of the highest speeds recorded on the county's roads.

He has pleaded guilty by letter to exceeding the 70mph (110 km/h) speed limit and is due before magistrates in Bury St Edmunds to be sentenced.

Guy Campbell
BBC Radio Suffolk

I'm off to the RSPB Reserve at Minsmere, where a somewhat rare visitor is drawing the crowds in, as reported in the East Anglian Daily Times, external.

It's called a purple swamphen, so if you've got any ideas as to how I can find it, or you've got a photograph of one that you've taken already so I know exactly what I'm looking for, you can send us an email, or post a message on our Facebook page, external.  

Suffolk Free Press

AFC Sudbury continued their preparations, external for their first season at step three level by coming from behind to beat an Ipswich Town Under-21s side with a Craig Parker winner in injury-time.  

A woman who's been with the fire service for about five years says a chance visit to her local fire station led to her new career.

Speaking after calls for more women to become on-call firefighters, Hazel Balding (pictured far right) said: "I joined when, through my job as a personal trainer and yoga teacher, I inadvertently went to the fire station to ask about something.

"The firefighter there took my business card and said 'would you like to become an on-call firefighter?'"