Cleah Hetherington
BBC Radio Suffolk

Ipswich Town boss, Mick McCarthy, says he'll play his strongest available side when Town on Lincoln City in the third round of the FA Cup at Portman Road this weekend.

Image source, Getty Images

The manager has been accused of not taking the competition seriously enough in the past and has never progressed beyond the third round with Town.  

McCarthy, though, has described Saturday’s match as a “must win” and says he won’t be using it as an opportunity to give untested players a game: "It'll be as strong as I can make it.  

"Gerks (Dean Gerken) will play in goal but that's hardly weakening it -  he's a first-team goalkeeper - and the rest will be as strong as I can make it.”

Cleah Hetherington
BBC Radio Suffolk

Ipswich Town manager Mick McCarthy has admitted he has a few injury concerns ahead of his side’s FA Cup third-round tie against Lincoln City at Portman Road on Saturday. 

Defender Myles Kenlock was already a doubt, the left-back still struggling with the calf injury that saw him substituted during the second half of Town’s match away at QPR on Monday. 

McCarthy says he's not the only player suffering, though: "The captain, Chambo [Luke Chambers] has got a bit of swelling on his knee so I'll have to see how he is and Skusey's [Cole Skuse], likewise; he's got swelling on his knee and he's going for a scan this afternoon.  

"Hopefully it won't flag up anything serious but nevertheless, swollen knees on a Thursday before a cup tie is not what I really want."

A man in his 60s was hit on the head with a metal bar as he investigated why a security light had come on in the garden of his Ipswich home yesterday evening.

The victim found three men wearing balaclavas outside the conservatory door of the property in Dales Road, and was struck as he attempted to close the door.

The offenders then ran away. 

The man was treated by paramedics after suffering swelling to the front of his head following the attack.

The organiser of the Latitude festival in Suffolk applies to increase capacity by almost 5,000.

Cleah Hetherington
BBC Radio Suffolk

It’s been almost 40 years since Mick Mills held the FA Cup aloft at Wembley but the Ipswich Town legend still believes the competition is worth playing.  

The Blues face National League leaders, Lincoln City, in the third round at Portman Road on Saturday with Mick McCarthy’s team under pressure to put in a strong performance.      

Image source, Getty Images

Mills believes this weekend's break from Championship action is an opportunity to build confidence and is urging the manager to pick his strongest squad. 

"It's blood and thunder," he said.

"It really does stir your blood as a player and I know supporters get stirred up by it and that's why, come Saturday, get your best team out there and if not your best team two or three youngsters with the other eight or nine players and let's have a real good go at having a cup run.”

Cleah Hetherington
BBC Radio Suffolk

Former Ipswich Town striker Luke Varney hopes Mick McCarthy is given financial backing in this transfer window.  

The 34-year-old, who joined Burton Albion yesterday on an 18-month deal, believes new players could help spark Town’s season into life. 

Image source, Gett

Speaking to BBC Suffolk Sport the morning after he completed his move to Burton, he also said it was essential for the club to hold on to key players such as Adam Webster, Andre Dozzell and Bartosz Bialkowski.

"I'm sure that the owner won't put any pressure on the gaffer to be selling those sorts of players; he needs to bring players in and make the squad stronger not get rid of the ones that we need, so I'm hoping it's the latter one and we bring new faces in and we'll be a force like we've been in the last couple of years," he said.

Africa Alive at Kessingland, near Lowestoft, is among the zoos and wildlife parks taking part in an annual stocktake...

A prisoner serving a six-year sentence for robbery has absconded from Hollesley Bay Prison, external, near Woodbridge.

Image source, Suffolk Police

Michael Stokes, 25, has not been seen since the 06:00 roll call say police, who warn that he should not be approached.

He's known to have connections to the Luton area.

Last year, seven men absconded from the prison, of whom six have been recaptured. One man failed to return after a home visit, but then turned himself in.

We've reported that a local GP has told us how seasonal pressure for appointments has been exacerbated by a viral infection which leaves people with a cough that can take weeks to clear.

On our Facebook page, external, we've been asking how difficult it is to get an appointment at the moment. Here are some of the responses:

• Kevin Botwright writes, external: "They keep building new houses and more people are going to the doctor's so it means there's not enough doctor's to cope with it."
• Rita McKenzie says, external: "The system is blocked up with the ones with heavy colds and flu! They should be going to the pharmacy NOT the GP!"
• Martin Owen posts, external: "Never had an issue with an appointment at my surgery. Great staff, great Doctors, pleasant environment."
• Michael Forde says, external: "At Kirkley Mill Surgery, there are no urgent appointments until March. Getting a same day appointment is impossible."

Do you agree? Send us an email, or join in the Facebook conversation.

Image source, Thinkstock

A Stowmarket GP says a virus that has been affecting people over the last few weeks is adding to pressure on appointments.

Dr Simon Rudland, from Stowhealth, external, said: "Normally we experience about a 15% uplift in demand over the January, February and March period but this year we've been faced by a really horrible viral infection that's making people feel miserable and giving people a terrible cough that just takes several weeks to resolve. 

"A seasonal uplift, and then we have seen a lot of additional burden as a consequence of this viral infection."

A development of more than 1,200 homes near Bury St Edmunds has been given the go-ahead.

We'll bring you reaction to the news as and when we get it.

Following on from our earlier report about a two-vehicle collision near Aldeburgh, East of England Ambulance Service reminds us to take it easy as icy conditions affect our roads:

The uncle of missing RAF Honington serviceman Corrie Mckeague says the family has secured the services of a team of specialists to support their efforts to find him.

Image source, Suffolk Police

Writing on the "Find Corrie, external" Facebook page, Tony Wringe says: "I am delighted to be able to tell you that we have been able to secure the services of an Elite team of specialists (some of whom are colleagues from the organisation I used to work with) to support our efforts to find Corrie. 

"The team will be working hard to provide the best possible assistance to the Suffolk Police Major Investigation Team."

Mr Wringe thanked those who have raised more than £51,000 via a Just Giving page, which will go to funding the support of McKenzie Intelligence Services, adding: " The generosity shown by so many people has been incredible and allows us to do so much that we would not otherwise be able to."

Kate Scotter
BBC News

Missing RAF serviceman Corrie Mckeague's mother says the longer her son is missing, the more she knows the "chances of him being found alive are slim".

Mr Mckeague went missing while on a night out in Bury St Edmunds after last being spotted on CCTV entering a loading bay area.

Speaking on ITV's This Morning, external, Nicola Urquhart added: "Without any evidence or someone being able to say to me that we found a way of him getting out, I will not stop believing his is alive." 

She said the support for the family in Suffolk was "phenomenal" and that while she could expect it for a missing child, she would not for an adult.

"If someone has got him, maybe they will crack; maybe they'll starting behaving unusually," she added.

The ambulance service says conditions were "treacherous" when it arrived at the scene of a two-vehicle collision near Aldeburgh just before 08:00.

A man in his late teens was airlifted to Ipswich Hospital with serious leg injuries, after being trapped in a car following the crash on the A1094 between Friston and Aldeburgh.

A patient from the second vehicle was taken by road ambulance to the same hospital.

Brenner Woolley
BBC Radio Suffolk sport

Former Ipswich Town, external striker Luke Varney says manager Mick McCarthy and his players are united in their attempts to turn the club's fortunes around.

The 34-year-old has been speaking to BBC Suffolk Sport 24 hours after signing an 18-month deal at Championship rivals Burton Albion.

"People have asked me what it's like there (at Ipswich)," said Varney. "I said it's obviously disappointing because we're not getting a consistent run of results.

"Back-to-back wins would be nice and I'm sure we'll get some new faces in. The lads are desperate to do it and we've seen that in some of the performances. We just can't seem to get that consistency."

Nic Rigby
BBC News

We've been following the story of plans to increase the number of wild boars from 55 to 131 at a farm at Pitt Wood in New England on the Essex/Suffolk border.

Image source, Getty Images

New England Boar Company's application for a licence under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act goes before Braintree District Council's licensing committee tonight.

A report by a vet appointed by the council says: "The currently licensed farm is well run with sound systems in place.

"The expansion is away from neighbouring dwellings and, in my opinion, is unlikely to cause any nuisance with regard to noise or smell."

The council report recommends that the increase of number of animals is agreed.

The firm provides wild boar meat for restaurants.

The chairman of the Bury Society, external says a housing development of more than 1,200 homes, being discussed by councillors today, is "very important".

The application, external, which includes land for a primary school, is for an area off Rougham Hill, south-east of Bury St Edmunds, between the A14 and the A134.

Martyn Taylor said while Bury St Edmunds was a very important satellite town for Cambridge "we are gradually evolving into our own niche".

He continued: "We're going to be having more and more industrial properties; we're going to be having the Suffolk Business Park opening at the top of Moreton Hall - all these things will attract more people. 

"We need the housing. We have not got the quantity of housing [that we need] and a site like this is very important because it's going to be introducing more social housing which is much needed for the people of the town."

Flood alerts are in place for parts of Norwich and the Broads as water levels remain high following high tides.

The Environment Agency warns of a risk to flooding to riverside properties along the Lower Wensum, external  in the New Mills Sluice area of Norwich. 

A flood alert is in place for the Rivers Yare and Waveney, external following yesterday's tidal surge.

Image source, Environment Agency

Brenner Woolley
BBC Radio Suffolk sport

Burton Albion, external boss Nigel Clough (pictured) has spoken of his delight at signing striker Luke Varney from Ipswich Town, external.

Image source, Getty Images

The 34-year-old left Portman Road yesterday after agreeing an 18-month deal at the Pirelli Stadium.

"Any Championship player we get is a coup for Burton because we're quite low down on people's lists of where they want to go in the Championship, because we know we're going to be in a battle all season, so we're pleased he wants to join us," said Clough.