We've been in touch with some of the organisations who welcomed the announcement last year of government funding for the wet dock crossing scheme in Ipswich, to find out how they felt about the town's new MP Sandy Martin saying he'd be in favour of the funds being reallocated to a northern by-pass.

David Ellesmere, the Labour leader of Ipswich Borough Council who lost to Mr Gummer in the 2015 general election, said: "I made no secret of the fact I would have preferred a northern by-pass.

"However it was clear that while Ben Gummer was the MP, we were only going to get the wet dock crossing and on that basis I supported it.

"Obviously we have a new MP now who's suggesting we look at this again, and I feel it would be sensible to do that."

Chris Starkie, managing director of the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership, external, said: "We noted Sandy’s comments, and look forward to working with him and all the Ipswich Vision, external partners on the full range of transformational projects which are helping to create an even greater town for the future.”

Image source, Ipswich Borough Council

Catherine Johnson, chair of Suffolk Chamber of Commerce in Greater Ipswich, external, said they were looking forward to working with Mr Martin, alongside the county's other MPs, on a range of issues "of interest and concern to the business community".

She added: “We note his comments about diverting funds from the Upper Orwell Crossings scheme to that of the northern bypass.

"We hope to listen in more detail to his thinking on this particular issue.

"We also look forward to a productive dialogue on the overall need for Ipswich to have a modern infrastructure that allows a much freer and more efficient flow of goods and people both within and to and from the town."

Robby West
BBC Look East

The trial of 13 Southend United fans has heard from witnesses describing the violent clashes they saw on the evening one man was left with brain damage.

Simon Dobbin, a Cambridge United fan from Mildenhall (pictured centre), was assaulted in Southend after a match two years ago.

Image source, Family photo

In the dock at Basildon Crown Court today were 12 of the 13 men, ranging in ages from 21 to 41, and all from Essex.

Two witnesses were heard - the first was William East, Mr Dobbin's friend.

He told the court, as he was walking to the station, all of a sudden, Southend United football supporters came out of The Railway pub.

Bottles and glasses were being thrown and the next thing he knew he was unconscious. When he came round, he saw Mr Dobbin and told the court he thought he was dead.

He said he remembered them still throwing glasses when the paramedics arrived.

The court then heard from Gareth Daniels, a former press officer at Cambridge United.

He took the same route back to the station when, he told the court, he saw 20 men run past him down the road.

He said one of the men was carrying a jagged, smashed bottle neck. He then saw a group of people stamping on others.

Twelve of the accused deny a charge of conspiring to violent disorder, 11 deny a charge of violent disorder, one of them has already admitted that charge and a thirteenth man denies assisting an offender.

The trial continues and is due to last six weeks.

The MP for Waveney says the Conservatives have "got to make the best of the situation" in which they find themselves after last week's general election.

Peter Aldous continued: "There are a lot of issues to address - obviously Brexit negotiations start in a week, we had two horrific terrorism incidents during the election campaign, we've got to focus on combating terrorism and I think there are also concerns that the economy is slowing down... and getting a government in place to address those is very important.

"I think where we are now, with those challenges we face, I think to have a Conservative Party leadership contest taking up the next few weeks which would actually mean a great vacuum in government, would be completely wrong and would be self-indulgent."

On the subject of how long prime minister Theresa May can survive, he added: "Who can predict those things in the times we're in?

"I would personally be surprised if this government went five years, but there are a lot of challenges I would say over the next year/18 months/two years with Brexit that we've got to get on with."

There have been calls for a northern by-pass for Ipswich for years, to relieve traffic congestion in the town, particularly on more recent occasions when the A14 Orwell Bridge has been closed due to accidents or high wind.

The adoption of the Ipswich Garden Suburb, external scheme, or Ipswich Northern Fringe scheme, which could eventually see more than 3,000 homes built on land between Ipswich and Westerfield, has again focused attention on need to improve road access in the area.

Image source, Ipswich Borough Council

Earlier this year, Suffolk County Council published a report, external on three possible routes for the scheme, an inner, a middle or an outer corridor.

All the corridors, external link between the A14 and A12, but are spaced at varying distances north of Ipswich,

Image source, Suffolk County Council

The first phase of the garden suburb [northern fringe] development received approval from councillors at the beginning of February.

Over 1,000 new homes, a new school, shops and business premises will be built on land east of Henley Road.

A woman was taken to hospital on Saturday with a serious head injury, after falling from a moving vehicle on the A134 south of Sudbury.

It happened near Honey Tye close to Leavenheath and the Suffolk/Essex border.

Police say they were called shortly after 19:40 to reports that the woman, who's in her 20s and was a passenger in a white Audi Q7 travelling north towards Sudbury, had fallen from the car.

She was taken to the Royal London Hospital by air ambulance, where she's in a serious but stable condition.

Police would like to hear from any witnesses to the incident.

Richard Haugh
BBC Introducing in Suffolk

Exciting news for gig-goers in Lowestoft... The Libertines are to play in the town in September.

Image source, Getty Images

As reported in the NME, external, the band are touring coastal venues in the autumn, in the Tiddeley Om Pom Pom Tour.

The band, fronted by Peter Doherty and Carl Barat, will play at Claremont Pier on 30 September.

Tickets go on sale on Friday.

Jon Wright
BBC Radio Suffolk

Ipswich Hockey Club, external's Hannah Martin featured for England again on Sunday as they came from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Holland in the Investec International in London.

The Dutch won on penalty strokes.

On Saturday, Hannah scored her first international goal.... but England lost 5-1 to Argentina.

She tweeted, external to say "disappointing result today, but massively proud to have scored my 1st international goal in front of an amazing home crowd at Lee Valley".

The former Conservative MP for Ipswich, Ben Gummer, had thrown his weight behind plans for a new river crossing in Ipswich, saying in 2014 that the proposal was "critical" to the town's future.

The idea to open up acres of disused land, and build a fixed bridge and a swing bridge linking the town with the island site on the waterfront, was supported by a number of organisations, including the island owner Associated British Ports, external, the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership, external, Suffolk County Council, external, and the then University Campus Suffolk (now the University of Suffolk).

Image source, Foster+Partners

In March 2016, the project was given the go-ahead in the chancellor's budget, with Mr Gummer saying it was a "fantastic day", and the "single most important piece of new infrastructure the town needs at the moment".

A year later, it was revealed that award-winning architect Lord Norman Foster had been chosen to design the new bridge:

The new Labour MP for Ipswich says one of his priorities is to follow up a statement he made last month, referring to plans for a new river crossing in the town, in which he said: "The first thing I would do for Ipswich [if elected] is speak to people at the Department for Transport and see if I could get the money that is currently allocated for the bridge, to be re-allocated to the northern by-pass road."

Challenged this morning on what happens next, Sandy Martin said: "Everything I do I will have to do in conjunction with other people and that's why I'm meeting some of the key players in this today.

"I want to go over with them exactly what the situation is, exactly what the justification is for this bridge, exactly what we can and cannot do and also to look at the possible ways in which we might persuade people to change their minds if that is what we decide to do.

"I wouldn't say I can't take no for an answer, but I certainly don't like taking no for an answer the first time I hear it.

"I want to actually tell for myself whether that is a firm no, or whether it's a no we can get round.

"I am convinced from having spoken to a lot of people during this election campaign that a northern by-pass for Ipswich would be more beneficial and would be more achievable, and that is where I want the money to be spent.

"If I can be absolutely 100% convinced that I was totally wrong about the wet dock crossing and if the arguments are convincing enough for me to be able to go out and convince the rest of the population of Ipswich of that, then clearly it would be stupid for me to say I am 100% committed to ditching the bridge.

"But I have not yet heard anything which convinces me that I'm wrong and I certainly haven't yet heard anything that I can use to persuade the people of Ipswich."

Jon Wright
BBC Radio Suffolk

Mildenhall Fen Tigers, external picked up four National League points at Buxton yesterday with a 40-50 win.

Danno Verge top scored with a paid 13 (11+2).

Mildenhall have won eight in a row in all competitions - and sit third in the table.

The Tory MP for Waveney says Theresa May, who has faced strong criticism of her campaign and her style of government, will have to change to have any chance of staying on.

Peter Aldous, who first won the seat for the Conservatives from Labour in 2010, added: "I think a lot depends on what happens and how the new government works.

"The British government is government by a party, it's government by government - it's not presidential and I think we've got to get back to the old traditional system."

Referring to Mrs May's style of leadership prior to the general eleciton, Mr Aldous said: "It was presidential and that's not the way we do things in Britain, that's not what our constitution is about."

Sandy Martin, who won the Ipswich seat back for Labour last week, says he doesn't think the country wants another general election.

He said: "I would have liked to have a government with the Labour Party in it running the country.

"I think we would have been able to provide the sort of focus on jobs and on the economy, the environment and on protection of people's rights that we need in the Brexit negotiations and I think we would have been far more focused on that.

"We need those negotiations to be successful, we need somebody to do it strongly and effectively and I just don't think Theresa May is going to be strong and effective.

"I don't think she's got the support of her party, let alone anyone else."

The new Labour MP for Ipswich says Theresa May has shown herself to be "weak and wobbly", adding "I would be very surprised if she lasts the year".

Sandy Martin said: "Of all the people who are swearing undying loyalty to Theresa May, I bet about two thirds of them would be very happy to get rid of her and pick somebody else before the end of the year.

"She is not in a position to command the respect of her own party, let alone the respect of the European partners that she's going to have to work with in order to achieve the best possible Brexit.

"I expect her to stay until the Conservative Party conference in the autumn, but I don't expect her to stay much beyond that."

The search continues for a man from Essex who was last seen walking along the A140 in south Norfolk two months ago.

Nigel Kedar hasn't been seen since Tuesday, 4 April when he was spotted walking southbound through Dickleburgh towards the Suffolk border.

Image source, Norfolk police

Yesterday, search and rescue teams from Norfolk and Suffolk joined specialist police officers to search an area around the village of Thelveton in south Norfolk.

Mr Kedar, from Clacton, 52, had been visting a friend on Norwich on 2 April. They'd deflated the tyres on his car after becoming concerned he'd had too much to drink.

Nigel Kedar is described as white, 5ft 11ins tall, of a large build and has short hair. He was wearing dark coloured trousers with a lighter coloured shirt.

Police are appealing for drivers with dashcams to check their footage from 4 April.

Jon Wright
BBC Radio Suffolk

Suffolk cricketers lost their quarter final Unicorns Trophy match in Berkshire yesterday by 65 runs.

Berkshire made 309-9 and Suffolk were bowled out for 244 in reply.

It was the first time Suffolk made it through to the last eight of the competition in eight years.

Michael Comber, who took four wickets and top-scored with 63, said: "Very disappointing to come this far in the competition and, as a whole group, let ourselves down a little bit.

"We battled back well towards the end, but we definitely gave too many easy runs in the field which eventually cost us the game."

Kate Kinsella
BBC Weather

We'll have a breezy day with scattered cloud and sunny spells across the BBC East region.

There's a chance of a few showers, but most places will remain dry.

Feeling pleasantly warm in the sunshine, with temperatures peaking at 20C (68F).

A warning for hay fever sufferers - pollen levels are high!

A more detailed forecast for where you are can be found on BBC Weather.

Philippa Taylor
BBC Local Live

Welcome to a new week of live updates from across the county - I hope you didn't get blown away over the weekend?

Among the tasty treats on the menu:

• Parents are urged to be a bit more thoughtful when dropping their children off at a Sudbury school
• A couple of our MPs get their crystal balls out to predict what the future might hold for the government

Plus of course sport and travel, as well as the weather prospects, which Kate Kinsella will bring us next. The pollen levels are high so if you get hay fever, be warned.

The Bedford coach will travel 1,000 miles at a top speed of 40mph (64kph) from Norwich to Shetland.

Meet the eight-year-old boy whose singing makes hospital patients smile, which aims to improve patient care.