East Anglian Daily Times

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

Image source, East Anglian Daily Times

Design Council Cabe, enlisted to help Suffolk County Council and its team through the process of planning the Lake Lothing crossing, says it wants to make Lowestoft people proud.

Image source, Mike Page

Clare Devine, executive director of architecture, built environment and design, said: "Through our extensive experience on major infrastructure projects across the country, we can help to ensure that the design of the bridge and the surrounding landscape provides safer and more pleasant connections, encourages walking and cycling, and creates a new bridge which people in Lowestoft can be proud of."

Former Prime Minister David Cameron announced that  the government would provide £70m to the project , which is estimated will cost about £100m, during a visit to Suffolk in March 2016.

Suffolk County Council has enlisted the support of design experts, Design Council Cabe, external , to help in the creation of the long-awaited Third Crossing at Lake Lothing in Lowestoft , which is estimated to cost in the region of £100m.

The organisation will play an integral part in leading design workshops and reviews with the project design team, using an independent design advice panel drawn from their network of experts. 

That panel will include architects, landscape architects, urban planners and designers and engineers.

Image source, Kier and Mouchel

Councillor Guy McGregor, Suffolk County Council, external 's lead on the crossing, said engaging the experts was an "important step" and the crossing would bring "significant transport benefits" to motorists, pedestrians and cyclists.

"Design is a really important element of the scheme," he said.

"Their scrutiny will ensure we meet the key objectives of the project, while also delivering the scheme on time and on budget."

Research , external by the RAC Foundation, external shows Suffolk has made the top ten of councils with the highest number of sub-standard road bridges .

Suffolk came sixth with 121 sub-standard bridges. 

Topping the list is Devon with 249, but more locally Essex came in third place with 160. 

Last December, a report to Suffolk County Council, external showed that 350 bridges were in very poor condition and 147 were in a "severe state", which means they'll need attention within the next 12 months.

The picture above shows the damaged bridge at Great Bealings near Ipswich.

It was hit by a vehicle in September, but cannot be fixed during the winter months due to the nature of the repairs required.

Cloud will increase this afternoon, with most places staying dry in Suffolk, but with a spot of drizzle over the hills. 

The west might benefit from brighter spells, but it'll be cloudy in the east. Maximum temperature 10C (50C). For more precise detail where you are, visit BBC Weather .

Many thanks to BBC Weather Watcher Iken Canoe Man for sending in this picture of the sunrise at Snape this morning - we want to know if the black labrador dog (I'm told, called Wigeon) at the front of the shot appreciated the scene as much as we did...

A 23-year-old burglar who brandished a meat cleaver and assaulted a police officer has been jailed for 10 years. 

James Preston, from Bardfield Road, Colchester was appearing at Ipswich Crown Court where he had already admitted a number of burglary offences and possession of bladed weapon, after incidents just up the A12 in Suffolk.

Image source, Suffolk Police

Preston admitted a burglary in East Mill Green, Bentley, and an attempted burglary at a property in Capel Road, Bentley, all during a crime spree on 1 February.

It was whilst the Capel Road burglary was in progress that officers were called, and they managed to detain him after he "fled the scene on foot" towards the A12.

The defendant also admitted an aggravated burglary with intent at an address in Pound Lane, Capel St Mary, possessing a meat cleaver, and assaulting a police officer.

Two hospitals in East Anglia have been praised for becoming smoke-free.

In his  blog, external , Duncan Selbie, the chief executive of Public Health England, external , said lessons are to be learned from Ipswich, external and Colchester, external hospitals.

The two trusts officially became tobacco-free on Wednesday.

Mr Selbie said: "They are based in two of the largest towns in East Anglia, making them the main port of call for thousands of people, both as a workplace and for treatment.

"The decision to take the final step and go tobacco-free has not been taken lightly but with joint chief executive Nick Hulme keen to improve the health of his staff, patients and anyone who visits the sites, this was an important step forward in combating the detrimental effect of smoking on the population, community and the NHS."

Kate Williams
BBC Local Live

Hopefully he and I are on the same page, and we'll reveal all this afternoon...

A motorcyclist suffered serious injuries in a crash in Bury St Edmunds yesterday evening. 

The biker - a man in his 50s - collided with a blue Volvo on Oakes Road during the rush hour. 

The motorcyclist is at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge being treated for a life-changing injury. The road was shut for nearly four hours for police investigations.

Four men and one woman have been arrested in connection with a suspected burglary in Ipswich.

Officers were called to an address on Old Foundry Road in the town after reports of some suspicious activity last night at 22:25.

Four men, aged 32, 31, 19 and 17 and one woman, aged 26, were all arrested on suspicion of burglary and have been taken in for questioning.

Passers-by came to the help of a 77-year-old woman as she fell victim to an attempted robbery in Newmarket earlier this week.

Members of the public managed to detain the suspect in the attack which left the woman with cuts and bruises - for which she required hospital treatment - in Exeter Road around 19:10 on Wednesday.

She had been the victim of a bag snatch as she walked along the road, near to the junction with Rayes Lane. 

A 25-year-old woman has been charged in connection with the attempted robbery and is due to appear at Ipswich Magistrates' Court today.

Police say they would like to thank the members of the public who helped.

Check out this picture of the Orwell Bridge taken from the north bank of the river, taken by Ipswich's meteorlogical photographer Carl Harlott on Wednesday night. 

He said: "I've always wanted to do a photo shoot there so decided to go with some friends and this was the end result."

Image source, Carl Harlott

We always love to hear from you and are pleased to see your pictures from the county. If there's something you would like to share with us, send in your photos or messages via the "Get involved" button at the top of this page.

BBC Newsbeat

Image source, AP

When he's not busy getting his face slashed by princesses (or doing it himself as it turns out, eh James Blunt? ) Ed Sheeran is smashing records.

Not in a literal vinyl-hating sense but he has set a new Spotify record for the most first week streams for an album with his latest release ÷ (Divide).

That is 273m streams of his third album in five days.

The previous record was set by The Weeknd who saw 223m streams in seven days with Starboy last November.

Read more

Nic Rigby
BBC News

The boss of a chain of academy schools in Norfolk and Suffolk says we should consider the idea of opening new grammar schools here.

Dame Rachel De Souza, who  heads the Inspiration Trust, external which runs 13 academies and free schools in Norwich, Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft, Thetford and Cromer, said any new policy which could improve education for children in the county should be closely examined.

"With pupils who are out in the coastal areas where there are high levels of deprivation it is an absolute fight to get a great education," she said.

"If we can make it better using whatever new policy comes in, for these pupils, I think it is our duty to look at it.

"We'd be mad not too."

Brenner Woolley
BBC Radio Suffolk sport

Suffolk's new UK Open champion Peter Wright beat James Wade 7-5 in the Premier League, external in Glasgow last night.

Image source, Getty Images

Phil Taylor's defeat to Adrian Lewis means Wright now tops the leaderboard after six matches. 

There were also victories for Michael van Gerwen, Raymond van Barneveld and Gary Anderson .

Brenner Woolley
BBC Radio Suffolk sport

Ipswich Town, external boss Mick McCarthy says striker Kieffer Moore (pictured) will have to bide his time before making his full debut for the club.

The 24-year-old joined the Blues from Forest Green Rovers in January, but has yet to start a match for his new club, making eight substitute appearances so far.

"It's difficult to leave Tom Lawrence and David McGoldrick out," said McCarthy. "It would be wrong, they've been our best two players. 

"So leaving one of those out to put Kieffer in - it's not going to happen, not this weekend [ at Barnsley ] for sure."

Rail passengers in on the East Anglian mainline face delays due to a defective track between Stratford and Liverpool Street in east London.

Greater Anglia, external said services may be cancelled or delayed by up to 20 minutes.

It said the disruption is expected to last until the end of the day. 

Andrew Sinclair
BBC Look East political correspondent

The transport secretary says today's announcement that traffic lights will be installed on the A11 Fiveways roundabout near Mildenhall will make a big difference to the thousands of drivers who use it every day.

Image source, Google

Chris Grayling told the BBC "this will address a frustration which has been felt by motorists in East Anglia for a long time".

"This is a junction which has seen congestion too often and the work will smooth the flow of traffic through it," he said.

The £400,000 project is part of £2.4m pot of funding made available this morning for smaller road projects across East Anglia following Wednesday's budget.  

The other projects which are being funded haven't been named yet.

Georgina Burnett
BBC Weather

It'll be a chilly start to the day but during the morning, milder air will push in and cloud will thicken. For many it will stay dry today but there is a chance of a spot of rain at times with a high of 11C (52F).

Here's my full forecast...

There are more details on the BBC Weather website .

Andrew Sinclair
BBC Look East political correspondent

Traffic lights are to be installed at the Fiveways roundabout on the A11 at Barton Mills.

The government has announced that work on the £400,000 scheme will start in Autumn 2018 and should be complete by the following spring. 

It follows a long campaign by local residents and motorists who've complained about frequent accidents on the roundabout and congestion at peak times. 

Image source, Highways England