Brenner Woolley
BBC Radio Suffolk sport

Ipswich Town, external manager Mick McCarthy believes his side has "lost our identity" of late and needs to get back to being hard to play against.

The Blues will start tonight's home game against Bristol City just eight points above the Championship relegation zone. 

"We lost Daryl Murphy [to Newcastle] so we changed the way we played and I'm not convinced that's suited us to be honest. We've missed that focal point, that power, that pace. 

"In missing all of that we've not been able to play the way we have in the past and been successful at.

"Teams probably enjoy playing against us a lot more than they ever did beforehand, so we're going to get back to the other way that they don't enjoy playing."

Cleah Hetherington
BBC Radio Suffolk

It's hoped that Felixstowe's revamped pier should be ready by August, as the old pier head has now been levelled, and construction of the new building is under way.

Helen Greengrass from Felixstowe Forward, external, a local project which aims to boost tourism and the economy, says the project is beginning to take shape: "The piling is in, the platform is beginning to be built, and we will see a new pier head building emerge over the next few months.

"The promenade will be raised as well, so quite a significant development for the town."

If you've never been to Felixstowe, here's a look at what the old pier head used to look like:

Philippa Taylor
BBC Local Live

I've just telephoned British Transport Police to find out more about the trespass incident on the line between Ipswich and Manningtree which has been affecting rail services in the area.

They told me they were called at 12:59 with reports that a man was on the railway line.

Rail services were suspended while they searched the area, but no-one was found.

It's thought a normal service should resume soon.

Suffolk Free Press

The role of Sudbury Steering Group will be reviewed, external following the decision to withdraw plans to build a new bus station in Girling Street.

Image source, Suffolk Free Press

An airman from RAF Lakenheath, external has died in a collision on the B1112 at Weeting in Norfolk.

The airman, who was part of the USAF 748th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron but who hasn't yet been named, was killed at about 06:30 on Thursday.

Col Evan Pettus, 48th Fighter Wing commander, said: "The Liberty Wing mourns the passing of one of its own.

"When a tragedy like this strikes, it’s felt throughout our entire community. 

"Our sympathies and prayers are with this airman’s friends, family and fellow wingmen in the 748th AMXS.”

Patrick Byrne
BBC News

The James Paget Hospital in Gorleston is currently experiencing high levels of demand for services that are putting it "beyond capacity".

Demands on staff, services and beds are very high and the hospital is expecting to face continued pressure for the rest of the week and into the New Year. 

Staff are urging the public with any non-emergency health concerns to use their GP surgery or local pharmacy. 

Julia Hunt, director of nursing, options other than dialling 999 were available.

A pig farmer from Blythburgh who voted for the UK to remain in Europe admits the Brexit vote has been good for business.

Jimmy Butler said: "I voted for the known, rather than going into the unknown but the unknown has been better than what we had before."

He described the Brexit vote as the "best thing that's happened to us [pig farmers] for a long time".

One of the reasons he cites is that imported pork, which accounts for about 50% of what's eaten in this country, are now more expensive, due to the weak value of the pound against the euro.

He says this has the knock-on effect of making homegrown pork prices more attractive.

Mark Williamson
BBC Local Live

Paramedics with the East of England Ambulance Service are continuing their "Twitterthon", external as they respond to emergency calls across the region.

Sandy Brown, director of nursing and clinical quality, said: "I'm very thankful to our teams for the hard work they are putting into responses to patients, and with call demand up so much higher than last year, their commitment really does shine through."

Ipswich Star

This is the front page of the Ipswich Star, external:

Image source, Ipswich Star

Paramedics on duty with the East of England Ambulance Service, external are tweeting live updates today, as they respond to calls, external across the region. 

Image source, East of England Ambulance Service

Bosses at the service thanked staff for responding to "recording-breaking demand" this Christmas, with nearly 800 more calls received compared to last year.

From 19:00 on Christmas Eve to 23:00 on Boxing Day, its three control rooms handled 6,849 calls. This is compared to 6,021 in the same period last December.

East Anglian Daily Times

Here's the front page of the East Anglian Daily Times, external:

Image source, EADT

Ipswich Town owner Marcus Evans signs off his message, external in tonight's matchday programme thanking fans for their "wonderful support" and vows: "I will continue to do everything I can to ensure that the success we want is just around the corner and that we are promoted."

Let's hope the revival begins tonight with a convincing win over Bristol City.

Image source, Shenston family

Marcus Evans, the owner of Ipswich Town, says "no-one is working harder than Mick [McCarthy], his staff and the players" to turn round the club's fortunes, adding: "Mick is vastly experienced and I’m confident he can get us progressing again."

Writing in the programme for tonight's match, external against Bristol City, Evans acknowledges that attendances have been falling away "somewhat" this season, an indication of the disappointing results the club has had this year, adding: "No-one is more frustrated about that than Mick and the players."  

BBC Weather

Another severe weather warning for fog has been issued by the Met Office, external. 

It's expected to clear by early afternoon, but it's advised you take care on the roads.

Writing in tonight's matchday programme, external, Ipswich Town's owner Marcus Evans says he's "100% committed" to the club's academy, adding that he's recently invested over £1m in new infrastructure and additional staffing.

"We need to ensure that we don’t take our unique catchment area for granted and that our ability to attract the best young players is followed up by a coaching programme over many years turning raw talent into long-term professional careers," he says.