Brenner Woolley
BBC Radio Suffolk sport

Ipswich Town, external manager Mick McCarthy has admitted striker Freddie Sears (pictured right) "probably needs a goal."

Image source, Getty Images

The 26-year-old has gone 28 competitive matches without finding the back of the net since scoring at Fulham last December.

"He's had a couple blocked recently and maybe could have scored," said McCarthy. "It didn't happen for him last season and maybe it's just ticked over into this one.

"Freddie will be back. I've no worries about him; he's a good player."

We brought you news and reaction yesterday to the announcement that Abellio Greater Anglia has been awarded the franchise to run rail services in the Eastern region until 2025.

Spoof news site Suffolk Gazette has brought us its fictitious take, external on the story, which may well strike a chord with regular commuters on the line.

"Abellio promised a host of new initiatives to win the £1.8bn contract, which will keep them in charge of our trains through to 2025," it writes.

"But it is the sleepers which catch the eye, ensuring tediously long delays into London can now be enjoyed from the comfort of a private suite and a bed."

Paul Fenton, director of estates at Ipswich Hospital, external, which runs the Bluebird Lodge facility, external, says the trust is taking over the responsibility of getting the problem of the lift sorted, "out of despair, really".

He said: "We are waiting to hear from NHS Property Services, external, but we've taken matters into our own hands to try to resolve this ourselves and take it out of [their] hands.

"This is clearly not acceptable. These are our patients and we need to ensure that we bring this lift back into operation as soon as we can.

"We'll be doing nothing today more important... quite frankly, than to deal with this lift and it simply should not have reached this stage. We are where we are and the most important thing to do is to put the lift back into full operation as soon as possible."

A spokesman for NHS Property Services, which looks after the maintenance of Bluebird Lodge Community Hospital, external, says: "Following the fit of the new part, we have uncovered another fault that we obviously want to review, to ensure the lift is able to operate safely.

"Work will continue until all issues are rectified.

"We fully recognise the concerns of patients, staff and visitors and have put significant effort and investment into keeping the lift in good working order, despite intermittent problems.

"Finding a solution to fix the lift is a priority for us."

Suffolk's main health watchdog has intervened over the Bluebird Lodge community hospita, externall in Ipswich, where the lift has been out of action since 6 June.

Andy Yacoub, chief executive of Healthwatch Suffolk, external, said he had been in touch with Suffolk Community Healthcare, external, Ipswich Hospital Trust, external, and NHS Property Services, external, and had heard back from most of them.

He said: "What I've heard is that the building isn't actually designed for the complex needs cases that are there now so that's a procurement issue which shouldn't ever happen."

He added that there were engineers there yesterday, and that they would "probably be there today because when they fitted the part yesterday they discovered there was another part that was wrong".

Vikki Irwin
BBC Radio Suffolk political reporter

A resident living in Cumberland Towers, the Ipswich tower block which is having a £1.2m facelift, says: "It desperately needs this refurbishment." 

Phil Benson added: "They can't leave us in a place like this; it's going downhill.

"What could they do otherwise? Scrap it? How much would it cost to re-house 69 people?"

Vikki Irwin
BBC Radio Suffolk political reporter

A high-rise building in Ipswich is getting an external facelift, at a cost of £1.2m.

Cumberland Towers, on Norwich Road, was built in 1966 and is owned and run by Ipswich Borough Council. It provides sheltered accommodation for the over-55s.

Labour councillor Neil McDonald says the changes will make the building more efficient: "Currently the balconies are open and they're going to be enclosed... [which] will mean they will have a warmer house.

"We're also going to provide a thermal piece round the edge of the windows which will keep the heat in and that should allow us to reduce bills by about £80 per annum."

Brenner Woolley
BBC Radio Suffolk sport

Former Ipswich School pupils George Pinner (pictured) and Harry Martin both started for Great Britain as they lost 2-1 to Australia at the Olympics overnight.

Image source, Getty Images

Ashley Jackson scored a late consolation goal for Team GB as they suffered their second loss in four Pool A fixtures.

It means they now have to beat Spain in their final group match, tomorrow night, to progress.

Brenner Woolley
BBC Radio Suffolk sport

Ipswich Town's, external home match against Nottingham Forest, external on Saturday, 19 November has been chosen for live TV coverage.

It will now kick-off at 17.30, rather than the original time of 15.00.

Town's early season games against Norwich City and Reading have already been picked for screening.

Georgina Burnett
BBC Weather

A cloudy start, with patchy rain clearing. Sunny and brighter spells later, and mostly dry.

Maximum temperature: 21C (70F).

BBC Weather can tell you more.

Philippa Taylor
BBC Local Live

Good morning.

As you can see from this photograph taken by Weather Watcher "Dew Watch" in Whatfield,near Hadleigh, it's a bit wet and miserable out there, unless you're a gardener, in which case you'll probably be pleased.

The good news is that it'll brighten up later on - we'll bring you a more detailed forecast shortly.

We'll also find out why there are further problems with the lift at Bluebird Lodge in Ipswich, and look at why it's a crunch day for Suffolk's hockey players George Pinner and Harry Martin in Rio.

On a day when we brought you news of the announcement of the award of the new rail franchise and of a lost skunk in Ipswich, here's what was making the news 82 years ago this month.

This picture taken in Lowestoft in August 1934 shows a horse and cart arriving at the harbour to bring nets and "buffs" (floats) for the fishing fleets leaving for the North Sea. 

Image source, Getty Images

The port once boasted hundreds of fishing boats, but numbers have now dropped to about 10.

That's it for today. We'll be back tomorrow to bring you more of the news from Suffolk. Until then...

Alex Dolan
BBC Look East weather

Gradually turning cloudy with outbreaks of rain later this evening and overnight.  

Feeling milder than last night and turning breezy later with winds a light variable and lows of around 12C (54F).

Thursday will be a cloudy and damp start to the day with some outbreaks of rain. Brightening up later with sunny spells. 

Expect highs of around 21C (70F). 

Get the latest forecast where you live from BBC Weather.

Bury Free Press

Residents in Hopton have put out a passionate plea to health professionals to make use of their new GP surgery, external, which got the go-ahead from planners last week.

Image source, Bury Free Press

It's been a day dominated by news of trains, but before we go, here's one more update for you.

It's been announced that a rail replacement bus service will operate over the August Bank Holiday while the main line between Norwich and Ipswich is closed for the replacement of a new bridge.

The bridge carries the line over Long John Hill in Norwich, and the replacement structure has been built on adjacent land so that the railway can be closed for a short a time as possible. It has a flat underside, instead of an archway, to minimise the likelihod of a vehicle hitting and damaging it. 

One mile of track outside Norwich will also be cleaned, allowing smoother journeys and more effective drainage.

Image source, Network Rail

Network Rail is also replacing new track at Mile End, and Crossrail construction work will continue along the route between Shenfield and London Liverpool Street.  

Passengers travelling from Suffolk and Essex face less disruption, as the railway will remain open between Ipswich and Stratford. 

The work is part of Network Rail's Railway Upgrade Plan, external.

Kate Williams
BBC Local Live

There's a happy ending in the tale of the Ipswich skunk. Thanks to the wonders of microchipping, the animal, which was a pet, and pictured here before his capture, was reunited with his owner earlier today.

Wildlife and education officer Joe Underwood says he took the skunk, who we now know is called Rufus, to a local vet who managed to contact the owner. 

Image source, Ipswich Borough Council

Mr Underwood said: "Yes he's a pet, but he's not my pet, and he's not particularly tame. When his owner was at the vet, he was quite happy, but he wasn't so happy with me and my friend Dave earlier!"

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!"