Kate Williams
BBC Local Live

Ipswich Borough Council's Joe Underwood has described the skunk he helped capture in Stonelodge Park.

Image source, Google

"He's black and white and he's a lot bigger than we thought he was going to be. Actually, he's about two-thirds the size of a badger, so quite a decent size," he said.

Asked if the animal was feisty, he said: "He was backing his way in and he sort of had his back end up in the air, and moved towards the fence swiftly a couple of times."

Kate Williams
BBC Local Live

Council officers called to retrieve the skunk in Stonelodge Park believe they may have had a lucky escape.

Image source, Getty Images

Wildlife and education officer Joe Underwood from Ipswich Borough Council said: "From what we can work out the gland that produces the smell has already been removed, thankfully, otherwise I don't think my wife would have let me in when I got home tonight from work!"

But, he said, he didn't know that at the time. "We had to treat it with caution and stand back - so it wasn't too bad!"

Haverhill Echo

A first-half hat-trick, external from Craig Pruden was enough to give Haverhill Borough their first league win of the season in a tough fixture at March last night.

Image source, Haverhill Echo

Kate Williams
BBC Local Live

At first when Ipswich Borough Council rangers were called to Stonelodge Park to reports of a skunk - similar to the one below - being found, they were sceptical about it.

Image source, Getty Images

Joe Underwood, wildlife and education ranger, said: "We've had eagle owls and exotic snakes but this one is completely different.

"We had a phone call from a couple of members of the public to say a skunk was on the loose in Stone Lodge Park. 

"The first thing you think is, is it a badger maybe, but we went over to have a look and there we go, there it was hiding... in Stone Lodge Park!"

Ipswich Borough Council park rangers made a rather unusual discovery earlier...

We'll bring you more on this story soon.

Derek Monnery, chairman of the Essex Rail Users Federation, has given his verdict on today's franchise announcement.

He said: "We're not going to get any new trains for three years and it's this interim period which concerns me.

"You've got to try and prop up these trains for three years until new trains come, and that could be a problem."

BBC Weather

This afternoon will be increasingly cloudy with a maximum temperature of 18C (64F).

Image source, Weather Watchers: Beachcomber

Tonight will be cloudy with outbreaks of rain arriving through the evening and continuing overnight. A westerly breeze developing later in the night, and a minimum temperature of 14C (57F).

Many thanks to Weather Watcher Beachcomber who sent in this picture of Felixstowe beach from earlier today.

A beer by Southwold brewer Adnams has won a medal at the Campaign for Real Ale's Great British Beer Festival, external in London.

Congratulations!

Kate Williams
BBC Local Live

The two companies that were also in the bidding process for the rail franchise, National Express and First Rail, have spoken of their disappointment over their unsuccessful bids.

A National Express spokesman said: "We are naturally disappointed because we delivered a disciplined bid that balanced significant customer improvement with excellent value to taxpayers and a fair return for shareholders. 

"We are seeking feedback on our bid from the Department for Transport."

Image source, Abellio Greater Anglia

Meanwhile, managing director of First Rail, Steve Montgomery, said: "We are disappointed not to have been given the opportunity to deliver a reliable and high-quality rail service for passengers in East Anglia.

"Our bid was compelling and deliverable. Had it been selected, it would have provided excellent value for the taxpayer, vastly improved performance and capacity, and a step change in customer service."

Richard Bond
BBC Look East business correspondent

Investment of £1.4bn in rail services across East Anglia will boost productivity in the economy and send out a signal that the region is open for business. 

This announcement, along with the completion of the dualling of the A11 in 2014, will help to change perceptions of the East as a business location.

However Abellio’s “Norwich in 90” promise deserves a little more scrutiny.

The train company is only promising to run two services a day from Norwich to London in each direction in 90 minutes. Each day there are 35 services in each direction to London, so the majority of passengers will still have services slower than 90 minutes.

Abellio says because its new trains will be faster than the ones they replace, average journey times on the Norwich to London line will fall from 112 minutes currently to 100 minutes from May 2020. 

A significant improvement, though perhaps not good enough for those expecting “Norwich in 90”.

Andrew Sinclair
BBC Look East political correspondent

Today's announcement on the new rail franchise comes after a costed rail manifesto was drawn up detailing all the changes needed in the region, and follows dozens of questions in Parliament, special debates and meetings with ministers.

Led by Norwich North MP Chloe Smith and Ipswich MP Ben Gummer, a co-ordinated campaign was put into action, leaving no-one in any doubt about the need for rail improvements in the East.

Image source, Abellio

Uniting behind the aspiration of Norwich to London in 90 minutes, and Norwich to Ipswich in 60, they lobbied for more investment by Network Rail in the region (which is starting to happen) and for a longer franchise to give the new operator time the incentive to invest in new rolling stock. 

And, as part of that new franchise, there would be tough requirements on the operator to improve journey times, increase services and provide a better customer experience.

But getting to today is just part of the campaign. Now MPs have to ensure that the new operator delivers.

Andrew Sinclair
BBC Look East political correspondent

“For too long East Anglia has been unloved in rail terms - that’s going to change."

The comments of Transport Secretary Chris Grayling this morning sum up the importance of today’s announcement.

This new nine-year franchise, with its tough requirements of improved service levels and new rolling stock, is the result of a long campaign by the business community and particularly the region’s MPs. 

Shorter franchises had failed to bring about any major changes to rail services in East Anglia for years and there was a perception outside the region that we were a rural undeveloped backwater.

Kate Williams
BBC Local Live

Key benefits suggested by the Department for Transport for the new rail franchise include: 

• A least four 90-minute services (two in each direction) between London and Norwich each weekday
• Two 60-minute services per day between London and Ipswich
• Free wi-fi for all passengers on trains and at stations
• 1,043 new, state-of-the-art carriages delivered between January 2019 and September 2020 to support the faster timetable, with a full programme of refurbishment for the current fleet in the meantime
• Automatic "delay repay" for season and advance purchase tickets
• New targets for operational performance levels at 93% - up from 89.7% currently
• New ticketing initiatives, starting in October next year, including new offers for part-time users and those who don’t travel every day
• By 2021, there will be more than 32,000 more seats on services arriving at London Liverpool Street in the morning peak
• The new franchise will introduce 1,144 additional weekday services – an increase of 13% – to stations including Cambridge, Norwich, Stansted Airport, Lowestoft, Southend and London Liverpool Street

Kate Williams
BBC Local Live

A wealth of new benefits should emerge from the new franchise awarded to Abellio Greater Anglia, but only sketchy details of timescales have emerged so far, external from the Department for Transport. 

Image source, Department for Transport

Ipswich Town manager Mick McCarthy is left "fuming" with his side after their 1-0 loss to League Two side Stevenage in the EFL Cup.

Kate Williams
BBC Local Live

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling says the new franchise deal will mean the years of East Anglia's rail passengers being "under-loved" are over.

Referring to new carriages being planned under the deal, which covers a region stretching from Hertfordshire in the west to Suffolk in the east, said: "They will be state-of-the-art, there will be a big improvement in terms of capacity, there'll be more seats for passengers, so this should transform the passenger experience.

"There's no doubt the East Anglian region has been under-loved in rail terms for a long time and those people who use the service will say they haven't had new trains.

"Now they're going to get them and they're going to get them right across the network, and every single carriage is going to be replaced and I think it will transform the experience of people who travel on the trains in East Anglia."

Graeme Mac
BBC Radio Suffolk sport

Suffolk hockey players George Pinner and Harry Martin helped Great Britain to a first win in their group at the Rio Olympics last night.

Image source, Getty Images

Martin was among the goalscorers in a crushing 9-1 defeat of hosts Brazil in Rio.

Pinner and Martin will both be back in action later with Great Britain due to meet world champions Australia at 00:30 UK time.

Kate Williams
BBC Local Live

The managing director of Abellio Greater Anglia says it has felt passenger "frustration" over the service as it bid for the new franchise, which runs until 2025.

Dominic Booth, managing director for Abellio in the UK, said: "We're absolutely over the moon to win the new nine-year contract for East Anglia. We've been operating the existing franchise there for the last four years, and having to do so with pretty old kit and equipment, pretty old trains. 

"We've suffered some frustration; we've felt the frustration of the passengers in East Anglia, and that's really fuelled us to hatch our plans - our very exciting plans - for this franchise."

Graeme Mac
BBC Radio Suffolk sport

Ipswich Town weren't the only Suffolk side to have a bad time in a cup competition last night.

Three of our non-league teams were in FA Cup, external action last night. Newmarket Town, Ipswich Wanderers and Whitton United all made preliminary round exits.

Elsewhere, Felixstowe and Walton got their new Thurlow Nunn League, external campaign off to a flying start, with an 8-0 thrashing of FC Clacton.

Graeme Mac
BBC Radio Suffolk sport

After an encouraging start to the new Championship season, Ipswich Town fans were brought back down to earth last night by the surprise 1-0 loss to Stevenage in the EFL Cup.

The Blues failed to recapture their form in front of goal during Saturday's 4-2 win over Barnsley, while Ben Kennedy netted for the visitors, seven minutes into the second half.

Town boss Mick McCarthy has been criticised in previous seasons for not taking the competition seriously, but fielded a strong line-up on the night.

"Quite clearly with the team I picked and the substitutions I made at half time I wanted to progress," McCarthy said. "As it is, we're out of it and I'm bitterly disappointed."