A district and town councillor for Needham Market says he's "a little disappointed" that it's taken so long for Network Rail to come up with plans to change the town's Gipsy Lane pedestrian level crossing.

It's more than five years since actress Olive McFarland was killed there.

Mike Norris said: "I appreciate Network Rail's consultants have gone into issues and there have been various stages along the journey that we've undertaken on getting this resolved, but it does seem like a lot of time has passed."

The preferred option, as outlined by Network Rail, is for a small tunnel, known as a culvert to be created.

A public information sessions is being held next month at the town's Community Centre.

Another revelation for Danny Dyer, who featured in the latest episode of the BBC's genealogy show Who Do You Think You Are was that through his Suffolk connections, he's also related to Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII's right-hand man, who was played by Mark Rylance in the BBC drama Wolf Hall (pictured).

His 12-times great-grandmother, Catherine Cromwell, wife of Lionel Tollemache, was Thomas Cromwell's great grand-daughter.

The programme ultimately traces Danny's bloodline back to an English king.... and we'd recommend watching it to find out which one!

The Teapot Project, external, in Ipswich, which intercepts food from supermarkets and restaurants which would otherwise be sent to landfill, and makes it available to those needing support in the town, won both the 2016 Team of the Year award, and also the overall Stars of Suffolk title, at last night's awards.

Speaking together after receiving the awards, Kat Gosling, Sarah Sharlott and Mischa Pearson (pictured left to right), said: "It's an award for all of us, and for all our very big team. 

"To be up against so many incredible people, who've done so many incredible things, we didn't feel worthy of being the winner, but we are hugely hugely proud, and very grateful, and very overwhelmed."

A Police Community Support Officer, who rescued four girls on a raft as they were drifting out to sea off the coast at Felixstowe, has been named Police Person of the Year, at the annual Stars of Suffolk awards.

John Hood, who told us his story back in September, said the award came "out of the blue".

He continued: "It's a cliche, but I do feel a bit humble to be in this and it is a bit of a shock to actually come out as the winner of this particular category, because my police colleagues, we're all mates, and it's just wonderful."

Suffolk Free Press

The Suffolk Free Press has a video of the River Stour, external, where levels have dropped after a control gate became jammed.

Image source, Suffolk Free Press

We brought you news earlier of an operation to move 7,000 fish from one part of the River Stour in Sudbury to another, as they'd become stranded away from the main channel of the river, when water levels dropped.

The Environment Agency has just sent us this photograph:

Image source, Environment Agency

Driving down the avenue of trees towards Helmingham Hal, externall, to visit his relative Lord Tollemache, in last night's Who Do You Think You Are, EastEnders actor Danny Dyer was heard to say: "The size of this gaff's ridiculous".

Meeting Lord Tollemache, and having been given permission to "call him Tim, as we're related", Danny, who was brought up in east London and now lives in Essex, was taken to the local church, where he saw a monument to Lionel Tollemache, his 12-times great-grandfather:

Brenner Woolley
BBC Radio Suffolk sport

Ipswich Town, external defender Paul Digby (pictured left) will be allowed to leave the club on loan in the new year, manager Mick McCarthy has confirmed.

Image source, Getty Images

The 21-year-old, who arrived from Barnsley on an initial one-year deal in the summer, has made just one league appearance this season.

He's now fifth-choice centre-half behind Christophe Berra, Adam Webster, Tommy Smith and Luke Chambers.

"We did have one club inquire about him," said McCarthy. "He's not going to be getting games ahead of the other lads, so it would be beneficial to him, so, yes, I would send him out."

Danny Dyer, the Essex-based actor who plays the landlord of the Queen Vic in EastEnders, discovered during this week's Who Do You Think You Are family history show on BBC 1, that he's related to Col Robert Gosnold, who fought in the English Civil War and lived at Otley Hall, external near Ipswich.

While there, he learnt of another link to Suffolk.

Robert Gosnold's mother Anne, who's Danny's 11-times great-grandmother, was a Tollemache, which meant his next visit was to Helmingham Hall, to meet the current Lord Tollemache.

Brenner Woolley
BBC Radio Suffolk sport

Ipswich Town defender Adam Webster (pictured) has returned to training this week and is likely to start tomorrow's home game against Queens Park Rangers.

Image source, Getty Images

The 21-year-old missed last Saturday's defeat to Nottingham Forest with a hamstring injury.

"He's had a good session," said manager Mick McCarthy. 

"It was the first time he's trained with the squad [since getting injured] and he looked great. We'll see how he is, and if he's alright he'll be involved."

Leon Best has also recovered from his knee injury and, barring any reaction, will be on the bench.

Brenner Woolley
BBC Radio Suffolk sport

Three players with Suffolk connections are in action on day one of the PDC Players Championship, external darts in Minehead today.

Image source, Getty Images

Bungay's Andrew Gilding is first up to the oche this afternoon, against Dutchman Vincent van der Voort.

Tonight Mervyn King (pictured), who grew up in Ipswich, plays former Premier League winner James Wade while Peter Wright of Mendham, who's third on the PDC's Order of Merit, faces outsider Jason Wilson.

The Environment Agency has been describing how it's managed to move about 7,000 fish from one part of the River Stour at Sudbury, to another part.

Water levels in the river had been affected by heavy rain from Storm Angus, external, leading to a control gate becoming stuck because of the amount of debris underneath it. This had led to a drop in water levels in part of the river.

James Mason from the agency, says local canoe and rowing clubs, as well as local anglers, helped them "not only locate the stranded population of fish along the Stour" but also helped rescue them.

He said they use a method known as "electro-fishing, external", which is harmless to the fish: "We stun the fish, they then float to the surface, we put them in tanks then we locate them back to the main channel where they're able to swim away and find refuge."

If attempts to free the gate today fail, they'll bring in specialist divers next week.

Philippa Taylor
BBC Local Live

A team from the Environment Agency will resume efforts to deal with the low level of the River Stour near Sudbury.

They were first made aware of the problems when a member of the public contacted them on Wednesday afternoon, saying that water levels around Great Cornard were unusually low.

They've had to move more than 7,000 fish from a stretch of the river while work is carried out - we'll tell you how they did it shortly.

Elizabeth Rizzini
BBC Look East weather

It's a cooler start to what's going to be a bright and breezy day today. 

There'll be a lot more in the way of sunshine, but we've still got that chilly and quite blustery north-easterly wind.

You'll feel that particularly towards coastal areas, where you'll have to factor in quite a bit of wind chill into today's temperatures, despite the sunshine.

Highs of 9C (48F).

Watch my full regional forecast here:

For a more detailed forecast where you are, visit BBC Weather.

Philippa Taylor
BBC Local Live

Good morning.

For the first time this autumn I found some ice on my windscreen as I headed into work.

But I didn't mind too much, as there was this beautiful sky when I drove in. This was the view over Ipswich from the BBC Suffolk kitchen at about 07:30...

We'll let you know if the sun will continue to shine shortly.

If you're planning to make the most of Black Friday and snap up some bargains, I hope you'll still find time to follow us, as we bring you regular news, sport and travel updates from across the county.

It wouldn't be the same without you.

Philippa Taylor
BBC Local Live

We're signing off for the night but before we go, a reminder of some of the stories we've been looking at:

• A pregnant woman who got stuck in floodwater said derogatory remarks made about the incident were upsetting
• The mother of missing RAF airman Corrie Mckeague urges people to view CCTV footage at a police pod in Bury St Edmunds
• Work to uncover a hidden Giles mural in a former pub has failed to find anything

Have a good evening and we'll see you from 08:00 on Friday.

Philippa Taylor
BBC Local Live

CCTV footage of people yet to be identified in the search for missing RAF gunner Corrie Mckeague, is being shown in a "police pod" which has been installed at the annual Christmas Fair in Bury St Edmunds: