It has been announced that Lord James Prior has died - the former Conservative MP who represented Lowestoft and Waveney.

Lord Prior, who was 89, grew up in Norwich, and attended Pembroke College, Cambridge. 

For a short time he held a commission in the Royal Norfolk Regiment. 

After leaving university he became a professional farmer and had little political experience when elected, on his first attempt, to represent Lowestoft in 1959.

He became Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food between 1970-72, and Leader of the House of Commons 1972-74. 

Lord Prior served for five years in Margaret Thatcher's cabinet where he was regarded as one of the leading "wets" who opposed her monetarist economic policies.

He was originally appointed employment secretary when she became Prime Minister in 1979, and was moved to the post of Northern Ireland secretary two years later. 

The move was widely regarded as a sign of her frustration at his refusal to press ahead more quickly with her trade union reforms.

Lord Prior stood down from the House of Commons in 1987 and was made a life peer as Baron Prior of Brampton. 

Kim Riley
BBC Look East

The widow of a man killed by a drink-driver, who was sentenced today at Ipswich Crown Court, said: "My heart is broken... shattered into a million pieces."

Joanne Smyth recounted how her last words to her husband Mark, as he left for work on 9 October were "drive carefully, I love you".

But she said she had no anger in her heart towards Raimondas Saveikis, 33, from Thetford, who held his head in his hands, and sobbed as she spoke.

Saveikis was jailed for 56 months, and disqualified from driving for three and a half years.

He was said to have had at least twice the legal limit of alcohol in his blood at the time; the prosecution also suspected he may have used his mobile phone shortly before the crash.

Brenner Woolley
BBC Radio Suffolk sport

Ipswich Town, external centre-half Tommy Smith's admitted he cried when told there was a chance he wouldn't play again, before undergoing surgery on his back injury.

"I took myself off for five minutes and actually shed a tear, because of the unknown," said Smith, who hasn't played September. 

"Any operation is a major operation and he [the specialist] said there's a 90% chance it'll be successful. 

"When I asked him about the other 10% he said I might never play again, so that hit home at the time."

Thankfully everything went well and the 26-year-old hopes to be back in training later this month.

The former Conservative cabinet member Jim Prior has died.

Lord Prior, who represented Lowestoft and Waveney, was 89.

An Ipswich teenager has appeared in court again this afternoon, facing two charges of murder.

The 17-year-old, who can't be named for legal reasons, was arrested on Thursday in Bramford, near to the West Meadows travellers' site on the outskirts of Ipswich.

Two men had received stab wounds - 32-year-old Barry Street and 18-year-old Nathan Oakley later died of their injuries at Ipswich Hospital. 

The teenager appeared via a video link from Police HQ at Martlesham before judge David Goodin. 

The defendant was wearing black trousers and a blue T-shirt, and sat with his hands clasped on his knee.

He's been remanded in youth detention, and is due to appear at Ipswich Crown Court on 9 January.

Philippa Taylor
BBC Local Live

A woman from Woodbridge, whose husband went missing from their holiday home in the French Alps in August, says she "daren't think he's still alive."

Dave Wood, who was 61, disappeared after going for a walk from their home in Marie in the Alpes-Maritimes region.

Image source, Wood Family

Val Armstrong, his wife, said: "After all this time how can he be [still alive], unless he's in a hospital with amnesia and all the hospitals within a very wide radius, including Italy, have been alerted?"

Mr Wood had gone for his usual lunchtime walk in the local area, and despite speaking to Val on the phone twice, saying he was "half-an-hour away", and numerous searches by local police teams, he has never been found.

Philippa Taylor
BBC Local Live

A man has praised Royal Mail for delivering a Christmas card to him and his wife, which just had the address "Tony and Sarah Wren, Somewhere near the sea in Suffolk".

He added that he "just desperately want to know how they did it".

Image source, Antony Wren

Antony Wren, who lives in Lowestoft, told us: "We moved up here from south Essex.

"I wouldn't say it was a rushed decision but it was quite quick.

"Family and closest friends got told as soon as we knew where we were heading but then it came to the first Christmas and the only way of telling anyone where we lived was on a Christmas card. 

"What do people do with Christmas cards?They recycle them, and obviously these people knew that we had moved but had no idea where to."

Brenner Woolley
BBC Radio Suffolk sport

AFC Sudbury, external will host Altrincham or Macclesfield Town in round two of the FA Trophy.

Image source, Getty Images

If Leiston, external beat Bromley in tomorrow night's replay they'll entertain Welling next.

The ties will be played on Saturday, 14 January, 2017.

Brenner Woolley
BBC Radio Suffolk sport

Once again it was Ipswich Town's, external failure to create and convert chances that prevented them from beating Cardiff City at the weekend.

It finished 1-1 at Portman Road, with Blues boss Mick McCarthy admitting, for the second weekend in a row, that his side is lacking a cutting edge.

"I've just been asked if it's confidence, if it's technical ability, is it being calm in those areas, but whatever it is we've got to keep working on it and make sure that we can do better," he said.

A couple say they are "amazed" to receive a Christmas card where the only address details said "somewhere near the sea in Suffolk".

Suffolk Police has released photos of the road collision which killed 46-year-old Mark Smyth in Santon Downham.

Image source, Suffolk Police

Raimondas Saveikis of Thetford has been jailed for four years and eight months for causing death by dangerous driving whilst under the influence of drink/drugs.

The prosecution told Ipswich Crown Court he was also believed to have been using his mobile phone shortly before the crash and was on the wrong side of the road.

Insp David Giles said: "The pictures of the scene are graphic, but they are sadly real. 

"They have been released with the support of the family to highlight the very real danger of drink-driving and using your phone whilst driving, in the hope that their release will go some way to preventing further deaths on our roads."

Image source, Suffolk Police

Brenner Woolley
BBC Radio Suffolk sport

Ipswich Town, external boss Mick McCarthy is confirming that midfielder Teddy Bishop's struggling to make tomorrow's game at Birmingham City.

This is the front page of today's East Anglian Daily Times, external:

Image source, EADT

A man who admitted causing death by careless driving, while being over the legal drink-drive limit, has been sent to prison for 56 months.

Appearing at Ipswich Crown Court, Raimondas Saveikis, 33, was also disqualified from driving for three and a half years.

During the trial in November, the prosecution said initial scientific tests indicated that Saveikis, of Canons Walk, Thetford, could have had at least twice the legal level of alcohol in his blood at the time of the crash.

Mark Smyth, 46, from Brandon, died following a collision on the B1107 at Santon Downham on 9 October, involving his Fiat and a Ford Mondeo driven by Saveikis.

Amy Wadge, who's worked on Thinking Out Loud and now When Christmas Comes Around, says for it not to be used would have been "a waste of a song".

Ed Sheeran & Amy Wadge wrote a Christmas song in October - & wondered if Simon Cowell might want it. Six weeks later, X-Factor winner Matt Terry belted it out in the grand final.

After treasure found in Norfolk is confirmed as Anglo-Saxon jewellery of "national significance", the finder gives us his top tips for finding your own.

Lines between Diss and Stowmarket have now re-opened following an earlier fault with the signalling system.

Greater Anglia advises, external that some services may face cancellations or disruption until 14:00.

Caroline Kingdon
BBC Local Live

 A charity walk to raise money for vulnerable veterans, external has had to be cancelled after one of the participants was injured.

Ed Parker, co-founder of the charity Walking with the Wounded, and double-leg amputee war veteran Duncan Slater, set off from the charity's head office in London on Friday to walk to their north Norfolk office. They were expecting to arrive in Stody later today. 

The pair were on schedule to get to Newmarket by Saturday evening, when disaster struck.  

Mr Parker tore some tendons in his hip and was unable to walk any further.   

Following treatment at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, and the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, Mr Parker is now back at work... and limping around.

He vows they won't be defeated, and will do the walk again next year.

The walk has so far raised £3,000.  

Kelly McCormack
BBC Radio Suffolk

A 17-year-old, who's been charged with a double murder at West Meadows travellers' site in Ipswich last Thursday, will appear before the town's Crown Court this afternoon.

The boy appeared via video-link at Ipswich Magistrate's Court this morning.