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The Beeches Primary School closed after overnight fire, expected to reopen tomorrow

News

The Beeches Community Primary School in Ipswich has closed today following a fire that broke out on Tuesday night.

The fire is believed to have involved solar panels on the school's roof.

The big picture: Fire crews from three stations responded to the blaze, highlighting the seriousness of the incident and the coordinated emergency response in Ipswich.

Why it matters: The closure affects all pupils and comes at the start of the new school term, disrupting education and potentially causing childcare challenges for parents.

The Beeches Primary School
No damage was visible from the entrance of the schoolOliver Rouane-WilliamsIpswich.co.uk

Key details:

  • Fire reported at 21:45 on Tuesday

  • 3 fire crews responded from Ipswich East, Princes Street and Needham Market

  • Fire officially extinguished by 23:03

  • School closed today but expected to reopen tomorrow pending safety assessments

What they're saying: The school's website states:

"Thank you to all families for your understanding following the fire at The Beeches last night. We are pleased to report that there is no internal damage to the school at all.

"We are currently conducting safety checks to ensure that the building is completely safe and at this stage we expect to be able to open the school to all pupils tomorrow, Thursday 5th September, as normal. Confirmation will be posted here later today."

What's next: School officials hope to reopen as soon as possible, pending the safety assessment results. Parents and guardians will receive further information.

Former Ipswich Town striker charged in £600k cannabis smuggling case

News

Former Ipswich Town striker Jay Emmanuel-Thomas has been charged with attempting to smuggle £600,000 worth of cannabis through a UK airport.

The big picture: The 33-year-old, who spent two seasons at Portman Road from 2011 to 2013, was arrested by National Crime Agency officers in Scotland following the seizure of approximately 60kg of the drug at Stansted airport.

Jay Emmanuel Thomas playing for Ipswich Town
Jay Emmanuel-Thomas playing for TownAlamy

Key details:

  • Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, 33, was arrested Wednesday in Gourock, Inverclyde.

  • He's accused of attempting to smuggle £600,000 worth of cannabis through Stansted airport.

  • Border Force officers found approximately 60kg of the drug in two suitcases from Bangkok.

  • Emmanuel-Thomas is set to appear at Carlisle magistrates court Thursday, charged with importing class B drugs.

60kg of cannabis
60kg of cannabis was seizedNCA

JET's Ipswich career: The journeyman joined Ipswich in 2011 for £1.1m from Arsenal, scoring nine goals in 75 appearances for the Tractor Boys. He left Ipswich in 2013 in a swap deal with Bristol City. He most recently played with Greenock Morton in the Scottish Championship.

The bottom line: The NCA warns that cannabis smuggling into the UK carries a maximum 14-year prison sentence, contradicting misinformation some couriers receive about facing only fines.

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