Patrick Byrne
BBC News

Eight old bells are being temporarily removed from a Suffolk church and a new set of three cast in The Netherlands will join them to create a ring of 10.

Work has already started on the bells to be rehung in the tower of the church of St Peter and St Mary, external in Stowmarket this week.

Bellhangers are overseeing the removal of the old eight and the first of the new bells were due to be taken down to the aisle today.

Image source, Stowmarket Bells Project

"It will take two or three days before all eight are down and then they will be taken by lorry to Bridport, Dorset where work will begin to refurbish and establish a new ring of 10," Lynda Rochester of the Stowmarket Bells Project Team, said.

"One of the old bells (the treble) is in poor condition and will not be kept. We anticipate the new ring of 10 bells to be brought to Stowmarket from Bridport in the summer and look forward to welcoming visitors as soon as safety regulations allow.”

The new treble is in memory of the much loved doctor Peter Franks and his wife Sheila.

The £179,000 project has been funded by grants and donations, including a £95,100 Heritage Lottery Fund, external windfall.

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Police say illegal shellfish picking is an "emerging problem" after significant volumes were found.

Pop star Ed Sheeran has helped kick-start a new appeal to help communities in his home county recover from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Suffolk Community Foundation (SCF) wants to raise £2m as part of its Rebuilding Local Lives, external initiative.

The BBC Radio Suffolk-backed campaign will get vital funds to community groups and charities helping those in need during the Covid-19 crisis and as the nation emerges from it.

Image source, PA Media

SCF did not disclose the amount donated by the Framlingham singer.

Tim Holder, SCF's head of public affairs, said they were "excited and grateful" to receive the support from the 29-year-old.

He said: "Ed’s visibility as a supporter will really boost to our ability to raise awareness of the fund and this new appeal, and now we can inspire even more people to support Suffolk charities and community groups to get Suffolk lives back on track as we come out of lockdown."

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Health Secretary Matt Hancock revealed on Thursday there had been a localised outbreak in Kirklees.

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The last batch of key worker hand sanitiser created on a university campus has been bottled.

Technicians from the University of East Anglia have created nearly 4,000 litres of the Covid-19 sanitiser over the past 12 weeks, which they reckon has cleaned 1.3 million pairs of hands.

UEA opened up labs on its Norwich campus to make the product, supported with supplies from businesses, including Southwold brewers Adnams.

The sanitiser was distributed to 15 local health and social care facilities, NHS trusts and community organisations in the East of England, but with demand reducing the university says the project has come to a natural conclusion.

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Holiday park operator Center Parcs, external said its leisure complexes in Elveden and Woburn Forests would remain closed until at least 12 July.

"Whilst we do not have a confirmed date for re-opening yet, we’re busy working on our reopening plans and we are getting nearer to welcoming our guests back to the forest," it said.

"We have taken a best-practice approach to our plans at this stage and are now very close to finalising things."

Image source, Christine Johnson/Geograph

A hospital ward sister has said patient recovery times will be helped with visitors being allowed back on site.

Anyone wanting to visit a patient at Ipswich Hospital, external must wear a face mask, book their trip in advance, and can only stay for 45 minutes.

Image source, NHS East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust

Sister Naomi Gunton said: "Anxiety levels will reduce because we are able to have better conversations, and when you are ill you want your loved one there.

"It's been a really tricky three months. It was the right thing to do, not to have visitors, but it will be great to get back to some more normal processes."

The health secretary slaps a colleague on the back in the House of Commons, despite the two-metre rule.

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