BBC Local Live: Suffolk

Ipswich-based seed firm Thompson & Morgan has hired security guards to keep an eye on a giant pumpkin overnight.

It is hoped the vegetable, which has been grown by Hyde Hall at South Woodham Ferrers in Essex from a seed bought for over £1,200 by Thompson & Morgan, will set a new size record.

It's due to be weighed in Southampton on Saturday...

There'll be little change from earlier through this evening and overnight, with often cloudy skies and the odd shower possible. 

Whilst the moderate easterly breeze will gradually ease, it will remain chilly with a minimum temperature of 11C (52F).

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The cloudy skies could potentially bring a few further showers through tomorrow. Some brighter or sunny spells are likely as it peaks at 16C (61F).

Get your local forecast from BBC Weather.

A review has started into how three hospitals treat patients in Norfolk and Waveney.

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Managers from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn, the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and the James Paget Hospital at Gorleston are proposing fewer hospital treatments with more people treated at home. 

The review guide also suggests these three main hospitals in the county set up specialist units for particular types of operation.

The review is expected to take several months and its aim is to save money for NHS services in Norfolk and Waveney.

Ipswich Town defender Christophe Berra (pictured) will be hoping to add to his 33 Scotland caps when his country hosts Lithuania tomorrow.

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The Scots currently top Group F, which also includes England, after beating Malta 5-1 in their opening match.

Town's on-loan forward Tom Lawrence is part of the Wales squad which will host Georgia on Sunday.

Leiston could go seven points clear at the top of the Ryman Premier Division if they win at Staines on Saturday.

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Glenn Driver's (pictured) team has taken something from all 11 league games so far this season.

They're one of four Suffolk clubs on the road with Needham Market heading to Wingate & Finchley, AFC Sudbury at Kingstonian and Bury Town travelling to Sittingbourne in the FA Trophy. 

Lowestoft Town are the only one of our Ryman League side who're at home - Ady Gallagher's men entertain Hendon.

Unbeaten at home but without a win on the road - that's been the story of Bury St Edmunds season to date.

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Tomorrow afternoon Gavin Hogg's men head to Henley Hawks in National League Two.

Victory could lift The Wolf Pack up to fourth place in the table.

Age UK is holding a Slip Into Slippers fundraising day on 21 October, and Ipswich MP Ben Gummer is backing it with a rather snazzy pair:

Corrie Mckeague's mum agrees she's racked her brains trying to work out what has happened to her son, missing since 24 September. 

She told BBC Suffolk: "If you think about what could happen, obviously what makes sense is he's been out for a drink, he's tried to walk home, that is the most sensible thing. 

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"Clearly that doesn't appear to be what's happened this time, so then the 'what ifs'?

"The 'what ifs' with most people might not be that great. 

"With Corrie, 'what if' could be absolutely anything could have happened, there's probably nothing that you couldn't imagine."

Anyone with information is asked to contact Suffolk Police's incident room on 01473 782019.

Darroch Mckeague, brother of missing serviceman Corrie Mckeague says they're a very close-knit family and had even spoken to him four times on the day before his night out in Bury St Edmunds. 

Speaking at an interview with BBC Suffolk, 21-year-old Darroch said: "We are two peas in a pod. We're best friends. 

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"Obviously with him living here, it's stopped our contact with each other as much, but we've still been able to be on the phone to each other - on the Friday before we went out, he was on the phone to me four times before he went out. 

He said there was no explanation as to why Corrie had disappeared, and described it as out of completely out of character. 

He said he had planned to meet up with Corrie and go out with his friends from 2 Squadron, and was devastated that he was meeting Corrie's friends for the first time under such circumstances.

Corrie Mckeague's police officer mother Nicola Urquhart says that of her three sons, Corrie is the one to whom "fantastic" things happen. 

Nicola Urquhart told BBC Suffolk his disappearance was uncharacteristic and that they are an "incredibly close" family.

She said: "This is really out of character. People say they're close all the time - we are an incredibly, incredibly close family. 

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"I'm a police officer so I can take things and rationalise quite well. If it had been Darroch [another of her three sons] who had gone missing, or Makeyan [her other son] that had gone missing, I think I would be able to pinpoint where they were and what they might have done very easily.

"However, if anything absolutely fantastic could happen, it would happen to Corrie - the things that have happened to him in his life, silly little things, being hit by cars, falling out of windows, never a scratch on him, never had an injury, never had any problems like that, but amazing things like that, and he always bounces back every single time." 

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While we're celebrating BBC Radio Suffolk's arrival on digital radio, one listener in Australia is reminding us he's an avid listener down under.

Allan Roebuck works in the mayor's office in Ipswich, Queensland and picks up the radio station via the internet in his car.

Revenge will be in the minds of Ipswich Witches riders when they head to Somerset tonight for the first leg of their play-off semi-final.

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It finished 61-31 to the Rebels when the two sides last met at the Oak Tree Arena, back in April.

Since then the Witches have improved almost beyond recognition.

"It's a different Ipswich side," said director Chris Louis. "It's three riders different and a massive difference in confidence. They've really turned it around and come a long way and really want to finish it off."

Ipswich Witches director Chris Louis believes his side can cause an upset in the first leg of their play-off semi-final at Somerset tonight.

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The Rebels were the outstanding side in the regular Premier League season, winning all of their home meetings to finish top.

"We'll go there to win, but I'll think it's very much game on if we lose by less than 12 points," said Louis. 

"We won't be going there with any real targets, but it would be nice to win the meeting and that would take a little bit of the pressure off for the home leg."

Ipswich Witches team manager Ritchie Hawkins has shuffled his pack ahead of tonight's Premier League play-off semi-final first leg at Somerset Rebels.

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Ben Barker (pictured) moves up to number three, with Nico Covatti switching to the number five berth.

"It was really to combat their own riding order, particularly away at Somerset," said director Chris Louis. 

"They have a strong trio with Rohan Tungate moving to number one and he's very good in their opening heats at the Oak Tree Arena."

As future plans for flood protection for Suffolk are discussed, one Lowestoft resident whose home was badly affected, has said not enough's been done to protect the town and she still doesn't feel safe. 

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Experts are due to examine what progress has been made since the tidal surge in December 2013 (seafront waves pictured above).

Julie Fox, who lives in Marine Parade  (pictured below), said: "You can see that everything is just crumbling into the [harbour], there's no defences in there.

"I've done everything I can, I've got brick wall all the way round [my house], I've got flood barriers at the back gate, at the back door, front door [and] down the drains."    

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A conference held today is discussing how much progress has been made in flood protection, nearly three years after the tidal surge along the Suffolk coast.

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The surge in December 2013 was the worst since 1953 with those affected taking months to get their lives back to normal.  

Today's meeting at Snape Maltings is bringing together experts to decide what can be learnt and what needs to be done to plan for the future.

People at the conference include the former chief executive of Friends of the Earth Mark Farrah; the regional director of Balfour Beatty, Daniel Johns; and the floods minister and Suffolk Coastal MP Therese Coffey.

While the search for missing serviceman Corrie Mckeague continues, his mother has told how his puppy is being cared for by his squadron at RAF Honington. 

Writing in a Facebook post, Nicola Urquart said: "This little puppy also needs Corrie back. Corrie adores him. 

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"Little Louell was left alone in Corrie's room on the Friday night he disappeared. He is being cared for by 2 Sqdn until Corrie comes home. 

"Someone has information, please get in touch with the Major Investigation Team at Suffolk Police," she said.

A Suffolk pilot severely injured in an aircraft crash in which a passenger died is showing signs of recovery at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital. 

Maurice Hammond, the pilot of a vintage aircraft which crashed at Hardwick near Long Stratton at the weekend, has been moved to a less critical area of the intensive care unit.

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Family spokesman Nik Coleman said in a Facebook post that this was "in line with his recovery, freeing his previous room for more critical cases". 

"Staff have once again moderated his sedation - for an extended period - and I am told he's been able to open his eyes as a reaction to some sensory input like touching his hand," he said.

"The hospital is officially 'pleased with his progress'. The team have also had the opportunity to wash his face as the visible effects of the incident and surgery reduce a little, and that's proven a real encouragement for the family."

The Unite union has announced Monday's 24-hour strike by drivers at Ipswich Buses, over a pay deal, has been called off. 

A statement from Ipswich Buses confirmed the action had been dropped after an agreement had been reached.

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Managers had put an emergency timetable in place, which included using double decker buses to move as many passengers as possible.

Services on 10 routes around the town had been dropped completely, but school day buses would have run as normal, and the Park and Ride services would have run every half an hour.