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Town 102 - News in the Ipswich area

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8ft hole opens up in Ipswich road

The road in Sidegate Lane has collapsed outside the primary school leaving an 8ft deep hole.

It is thought a collapsed sewage pipe might be responsible.

Temporary traffic lights have been put in and engineers are there but we're being warned it won't be a quick fix.

Last updated at 6:07pm, 2nd September 2010

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Ipswich avoids another jobs cull

RBS has announced it's cutting another three and a half thousand jobs - but Ipswich has avoided the cull

Service centre staff, IT and other support functions in 12 locations - including Norwich - will be affected.

It comes as nearly 200 jobs in Ipswich have been put under threat as last month RBS announced they were closing one of their Churchill Insurance Offices in town

Last updated at 2:27pm, 2nd September 2010

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Plane crashes off Suffolk coast.

Two people have been taken to hospital after a light aircraft crash landed off the Suffolk coast.

The plane came down last night near Aldeburgh.

The pilot ditched the plane on purpose after the engine failed.

Neither of them were seriously injured.

To see the rescue mission log onto the link below

www.rnlivideolibrary.org.uk/getvideo.aspx?vid=7djcbjax

Last updated at 10:33am, 2nd September 2010

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Traffic chaos to soon come to an end

It has cost about £650,000 to do and seven months to complete but the roadworks in the centre of Ipswich should soon be over

By the end of the month, traffic will be able to resume from Princes Street and traffic flow for delivery vehicles will be reversed along Butter Market (ie. from Upper Brook Street to Giles Circus).

The motorcycle parking spaces have been removed and alternate provision established elsewhere in the town centre.

Cycle parking has been provided alongside the Corn Exchange.

Last updated at 6:20am, 2nd September 2010

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Famous faces raise money for local hospice

Unique deckchairs designed by celebrities and talented artists to raise money for St Elizabeth Hospice have gone up for auction to the highest bidders.

An online auction of the exclusive Suffolk Coastal Deckchairs art collection has been launched and people have until 12 October to bid for their favourite to display in their home or workplace.

The latest household names to have created a canvas are wildlife presenter and former Goodie Bill Oddie and his wife, writer Laura Beaumont, whose saucy seaside postcard design is attracting a lot of interest.

There are also designs by actor Sean Bean, actress Maureen Lipman, writer Anthony Horowitz, thespian Bernard Hill, Holby City Star Robert Powell, Mr Benn creator David McKee, cartoonist Annie Tempest, award-winning artists Susan Gunn and Jeremy Deller as well as many artists from Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex.

Twenty of the 49 deckchair canvases will be auctioned online and the website has gone live to the public.

To bid visit the link below.

www.stelizabethhospice.org.uk/deckchairsauction

Last updated at 6:17am, 2nd September 2010

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Rail worker sacked for not checking crossings

Just a few weeks after a rail crash at an unmanned level crossing in Suffolk and apparently a number of crossings in East Anglia haven't been inspected when they should have been.

Network Rail say a worker's been sacked after failing to check 9 but there's no word on which ones they are.

However, they also say over the last 9 months over 2 thirds of the crossings in the region have been checked.

Last updated at 1:31pm, 1st September 2010

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£170,000 worth of cigarettes seized

800,000 cigarettes have been seized at Felixstowe Port.

Border officials found them stashed inside furniture on Friday.

They had been shipped over from China and should have had almost £200,000 duty paid on them.

Last updated at 1:29pm, 1st September 2010

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Fire in stables

Three people have been rescued from a burning flat in Newmarket last night.

Crews were called to Freemasons Lodge Stables on Bury Road after a car fire spread to the nearby flat and stables.

Three horses were also rescued and no one was hurt.

Last updated at 10:10am, 1st September 2010

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A Bike a Day...

More than a bike a day's been stolen in Ipswich over the last five years.

Nearly 3,000 have been reported taken since the beginnning of 2006.

It comes as, nationally, 1 in 3 cyclists say they've had their bikes stolen

A full breakdown of figures below:
2010 to date (26/08/10): 403
2009: 579
2008: 653
2007: 573
2006: 596

Total from 1st Jan 2006 to date (26/08/10): 2804


Last updated at 6:15am, 1st September 2010

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Roads could get jammed later

A massive boat that measures 5.23m in width, 5.90m in height, 24.86m in length and weighs 59000kg is being moved from Cambridge to Ipswich.

Its so large it will have to use back roads as its it can;t go under bridges on the A14.

It will leave the Cambridgeshire border at around 8am under the escort of Suffolk Police and will take the following route:
Continue towards Quay interchange and follow A1303 towards Newmarket to the roundabout, take second exit.
Straight into Newmarket, through Newmarket High street to the clock tower roundabout, continue A1304.
Turn right B1506 (back via Cambridgeshire) through Kentford and pass under the A14 to join A14 towards Bury St Edmunds.
Pass under railway bridge at Bury St Edmunds keep as far as possible to offside for maximum clearance, then continue A14 to Stowmarket.
Turn left A1308 through Stowmarket. Continue B1113 through Needham Market to Gt Blakenham.
Turn right (still B1113 and contraflow to end of dual carriageway)*.
Continue through Lorraine Way Bramford Way and Sproughton village.
Turn left A1071 to the Holiday Inn Hotel.
Turn left A1214 into Ipswich. Turn right A137 West End Road and follow one-way system to Bridge Street.
Enter Haven Marina from Bridge Street prior to Stoke Bridge.

Last updated at 6:12am, 1st September 2010

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Hadleigh gets a revamped pool

Work at Hadleigh Swimming Pool's finally finished.

Half-a-million pounds has been spent on doing up the changing area and reception.

It's going to be officially re-opened later this month

Last updated at 6:11am, 1st September 2010

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Young people in Suffolk encouraged to become an apprentice

Many young people who've finished their GCSE's here in Suffolk might not know what they want to do next.

The National Apprentiships Service are encouraging more people to take up a vocation.

They say it can be a good option as you can earn while you learn and gives businesses the chance to train someone up to deal with their specific needs.

To find out more head to www.apprenticeships.org.uk.


Last updated at 2:49pm, 31st August 2010

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Warning of a tax scam in Suffolk

We're being warned about a scam going around where you get a phonecall from someone pretending to be the taxman in Suffolk.

The fraudster says you're due for a tax rebate, asks for your bank details and then tries to take money from your account.

Victims risk having their bank accounts emptied and their personal details sold on to other organised criminal gangs.

The warning comes amid a recent surge in the number of tax scam "phishing" emails reported to HMRC. In the last three months, HMRC has shut down over 180 websites that were responsible for sending out the fake tax rebate emails.

Chris Hopson, Director of Customer Contact at HMRC said:

"We only ever contact customers who are due a tax refund in writing by post. We never use telephone calls, emails or external companies in these circumstances. We strongly urge anyone receiving such a phone call not to give any information to the caller, but report it to the police straightaway.

"If customers receive an email claiming to be from HMRC, we recommend they send it to us for investigation before deleting it permanently."

HMRC thoroughly investigates phishing attacks and works with other law enforcement agencies in the UK and overseas. In the last 18 months, scam networks have been shut down in a number of countries, including Austria, Mexico, the UK, South Korea, the USA, Thailand and Japan.


HMRC strongly advises customers to:
- Check the advice published at www.hmrc.gov.uk/security/index.htm to see if the email you have received is listed
- Forward suspicious emails to HMRC at phishing@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk and then delete it from your computer/mail account
- Do not click on websites, links contained in suspicious emails or open attachments
- Follow advice from www.getsafeonline.co.uk

If you have reason to believe that you have been the victim of an email scam, report the matter to your bank/card issuer as soon as possible. If in doubt please check with HMRC at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/security/fraud-attempts.htm


Last updated at 7:10am, 30th August 2010

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Get another bin to deal with garden waste

If you've got more garden waste than will fit in your brown box you've got the chance to get another one.

for 40 pounds a year you can have a second bin but not everyone will be able to get one.

Even though the scheme is open to all residents of Ipswich, only a limited number of properties can be accepted on to the scheme due to the capacity of the vehicles.

So, don't waste your time taking your extra garden waste to a recycling centre, invest in a second brown bin instead. You will be helping the planet by reducing your carbon footprint as well.

To apply for the new service call the Borough Council¹s waste and recycling team on 01473 433083 or download a form from www.ipswich.gov.uk/secondbrownbin

Last updated at 2:45pm, 26th August 2010

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Stop cold calls by registering online

We receive an average of six cold telephone calls a month according to a survey.

Unsurprisingly one in four of us say it's intimidating.

You can register for free with the Telephone Preference Service online which makes it illegal for companies to contact you unless they have your permission.

Head to http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/tps/ to register online.

Last updated at 9:20am, 26th August 2010

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Cheaper parking on the way for Hadleigh

Parking in Hadleigh could be a bit cheaper soon.

Babergh council's launching a new permit scheme meaning regular users of long stay car parks will be able to pay less.

As part of a wider package aimed at closing its budget deficit for 2009/10, Babergh councillors agreed in February this year to introduce a £1.50 charge for anyone wishing to park for more than three hours in its long stay car parks in the two towns.

Ahead of this scheme being introduced in October, and recognising that the impact on regular users of the long stay car parks of the charges should be reduced if possible, Babergh is issuing a maximum of 133 parking permits which offer discounts compared to the daily rate of £1.50 to park at the Station, Sudbury, Station Road Sudbury and the rear part of Magdalen Road, Hadleigh.

The discounted parking permits can be bought on an annual (for £250), three-monthly (£70) or monthly (£25) basis. They can be bought using cash, cheques, debit and credit cards for one of the specific car parks listed above.

The full details for getting an application form are as follows: from the council's website (www.babergh.gov.uk/babergh/carpark), by calling (01473) 826622, by visiting their offices at Corks Lane, Hadleigh IP7 6SJ or by visiting the Sudbury Advice Centre, Sudbury Town Hall CO10 1TL.

Last updated at 5:12am, 26th August 2010



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