The National Trust is opening several of its coast and countryside parks in the East of England this Bank Holiday weekend, but visitors must book a car parking space first.

Image source, Geograph/Christine Johnstone

Some venues, including Wicken Fen in Cambridgeshire, have already reached capacity.

On its website, external, the trust said: "For some of our larger car parks, we’ve introduced a booking system to help manage visitor numbers and maintain safe social distancing."

Other venues opening include Blickling Hall and Felbrigg Hall in Norfolk as well as Dunwich Heath and Beach in Suffolk.

Smaller, local car parks not require booking.

A woman has said a stretch of Suffolk beach needs to have more police patrols after an influx of visitors following the loosening of lockdown measures.

Tracey Cross, who lives close to Sizewell beach, said she spotted people not maintaining social distancing and lots of campervans and cars parked up.

"We do have the police down there once in a while - it doesn’t hurt them to know it’s going to be a busy weekend to be patrolling it a lot more," she said.

However, visitors who spoke to the BBC said the vast majority of people appeared to be observing social distancing guidelines, following the re-opening of a cafe and toilets.

• The BBC looks at the national picture from our Britain's coasts

League One and Two clubs could be placed under salary cap restrictions by new English Football League proposals.

Portsmouth say the difference in size between League One clubs makes it difficult to agree whether to continue or end their season.

MP Therese Coffey said people who have lost their jobs in the coronavirus crisis could find roles in the agricultural sector this summer.

Image source, PA Media

The number of people claiming unemployment benefit in the UK soared last month, the first full month of the coronavirus lockdown.

The Suffolk Coastal MP and Work and Pensions Secretary told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I think we should be prepared for the unemployment rate to increase significantly."

But, after insisting "there are a substantial number of vacancies already", she was pressed on where the vacant roles are.

"There's an aspect of retail," she said. "There are quite a lot of vacancies or employment wanted in our agricultural sector to help in our near future.

"Those very much need to be filled as well."

The Suffolk Coastal MP and Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has been defending the government's policy on introducing testing for Covid-19.

Therese Coffey said anyone more than five years old who was showing symptoms could now get tested for the virus.

The government has made increased testing one of its five goals that must be met in order to leave lockdown. Its target is to test 200,000 people a day by the end of the month.

Pete Cooper
BBC News

A head teacher has told parents that he will not be opening his school to Foundation, Year One and Year Six pupils on 1 June.

Currently Woodbridge Primary in Suffolk is open to key workers' children, and head Mark Krisson said that would continue in his letter to parents, external.

Under government plans, children in Reception (Foundation), Year One and Year Six in England are being asked to return to school after the end-of-May half-term break.

Image source, Getty Images

Yesterday, Michael Gove insisted England's schools were safe to reopen, but acknowledged that "you can never eliminate risk".

Mr Gove told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show the key was to make schools safe with smaller classes and staggered arrivals.

But Mr Krisson said he would only start a return to school once he had more information about four questions he set out in his letter including whether the school has "enough available staff" and if "children play a role in transmission to adults".

He went on to say he was "not completely ruling out a return to school before the end of this term".

Residents living close to an Anglian Water reservoir took to social media to complain after visitors' cars clogged up their streets at the weekend.

Although the Grafham Water, external in Perry, in Cambridgeshire, is closed - alongside the company's others water parks across the region - people turned up "with enough gear for camping" and several were reportedly having barbecues.

Image source, Samantha Smith

Park rangers moved some on, on Saturday, but one resident, who emailed Anglian Water's chief executive complaining the village was "overwhelmed" and "swamped", said the situation "got worse on Sunday".

An Anglian Water spokeswoman said: "Our sites are currently closed to the public at this time. We know our leisure attractions are loved by many but protecting the health and safety of our colleagues and visitors is our top priority.

"If you were hoping to visit Grafham, Pitsford [Northants], Rutland, Alton Water [Suffolk] or any of our smaller sites soon, please postpone as we will not be open and all tracks and car parks are closed."

Jacob, 14, and Isaac, 11, were admitted to hospital with coronavirus within 24 hours of one another.

Students from University Centre Colchester were due to stage a graduation fashion show this month.

The RSPB says its birds and mammals have become accustomed to a lack of visitors.

A teenage photographer and film maker hopes his art will put the seaside town on the cultural map.

A Suffolk primary school shows how it is trying to prepare for more pupils to arrive in June.

Anglian Water says its seven leisure sites will remain closed until user safety is "certain".

If the weather is hot again this weekend, and despite lockdown restrictions being relaxed, people are being reminded that many of the rules are still in place and common sense should prevail in terms of meeting other people.

Ipswich Borough Council is focusing on the two-metre social distancing rule.

Silke Hartshorne-Jones died from a gun shot wound to the chest.

• Birds have been found nesting in unused car park ticketing machines, external, reports the Ipswich Star
• Suffolk opera star provides free concerts to combat lockdown boredom, features in the East Anglian Daily Times, external
• The Bury Free Press, external says St Benedict's Catholic School has put together positive videos set to music to connect with pupils who are at home

Police believe the newborn was less than two days old and are "desperate" to locate her mother.

The mother of the newborn girl is urged to come forward after a body is found at a waste centre.

Although the rules regarding lockdown have changed this week, as the government altered the message from "stay at home" to "stay alert", it seems many people are still choosing to remain indoors.

Images released by Ipswich's Street Rangers show a very empty and deserted town centre.