IT might be renowned for its despair, family fall-outs, tears and heartbreak, but one of the nation's favourite soap operas is set to provide a happy-ever-after for Lowestoft's Marina Theatre.

A FACTORY worker died after his car skidded on ice and turned upside-down into a water-filled ditch, an inquest has heard. Marcello Ferriera Da-Costa, 37, of Audley Street, Great Yarmouth, who was described by his brother as a “safe driver”, was found in an upturned car in a ditch next to the A143 Beccles Road in Haddiscoe on February 20, 2010.

PART of a bomb was discovered on a north Suffolk beach yesterday. The front end piece of ordinance was found by a local walking on the stretch of beach between Dunwich and Walberswick at around

An “invasion” of little green men has been puzzling locals and holidaymakers all around the borough of Great Yarmouth. Paddling in the waves at Gorleston beach, on a boat on the Broads, playing crazy golf at Pirates Cove, dressing up in the Elizabethan House museum.

Two people were airlifted to hospital last night after a light aircraft crash landed onto a sand bank off Orfordness on the Suffolk coast. The plane crashed at North Shipwash off Orfordness at just after 6.

FIREFIGHTERS from Lowestoft spent 15 minutes tackling a kitchen blaze in the town. Crews from Lowestoft South and North Lowestoft fire stations were called to Manor Court, off Dukes Head Street, at 11am this morning.

People are being encouraged to check that taxis are safe and legal after reports of unlicensed drivers operating around Lowestoft. Waveney District Council, which licenses taxis and private hire vehicles, has asked taxi users to report any suspected unlicensed cabs in a bid to crackdown on fake drivers.

Police are appealing for help in tracing a 42-year-old man who went missing from his home in Wenhaston, near Halesworth, yesterday. Simon Adams was last seen at his home address around 7.

DOCTORS are emphasising the importance of the MMR jab after a surge in the number of women who become pregnant, but have never had the vaccination themselves.

The region's green energy credentials will soon get a major boost as the first turbines at the Greater Gabbard offshore wind farm are now in place and ready to start generating power.

TOURISM in Suffolk has been badly hit by this summer's heavy rainfall - nearly three times heavier than expected - which has brought visitor numbers to many attractions down by up to 15pc.

POLICE are appealing for information after a fail-to-stop road traffic collision in Lowestoft in which a dog was injured. The dog was being walked by its owners in Durban Road at about 10.

YARMOUTH Coastguard have issued a warning to leisure boaters and regular marine traffic after a ship lost a “significant amount of lost cargo” in heavy seas off the east coast of the UK.

FIREFIGHTERS had to free a woman from her vehicle after it was involved in an accident on the A1095 Halesworth Road. The accident, which only involved one vehicle, happened at about 12.

More than 100 lorries rumbled their way out of Norwich in a giant convoy to celebrate 25 years of bringing smiles to the faces of disadvantaged children.

THE death of a man in Southwold is not being treated as suspicious. Police were called to Southwold Market Place, near the Blue Lighthouse, just after 11am on Wednesday to reports that a man had died suddenly.

A BRIDGE operator has been praised for his crucial role in a dramatic rescue in which three people were plucked to safety as their boat sank in the North Sea.

EDUCATION bosses have moved to reassure parents that a proposed new high school for south Lowestoft will provide the best possible future for their children.

One of the world's most famous orchestras has confirmed that it will be performing a concerts in Lowestoft for a seventh consecutive year. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) has extended its residency at the Marina Theatre into a seventh year with a series of concerts planned for 2011.

More than 100 knives have been taken off the streets of Lowestoft during a summer weapons amnesty. The knives were among 227 items handed in anonymously over the past eight weeks as part of the weapons amnesty which was organised by Lowestoft central safer neighbourhood team (SNT).

Hundreds of thousands of people braved heavy rain and thunderstorms to watch some of the world's most famous aircraft at the Lowestoft Seafront Air Festival today.

The stages are ready, the beer is chilled and the sheep have been given a colourful makeover. The finishing touches have been made for Latitude Festival which opens today and will see 35,000 revellers descend on a picturesque corner of Suffolk.

Next weekend 35,000 people will descend on Henham Park for Latitude. The festival will feature more than 750 performers ranging from theatre to opera to ballet to cabaret to comedy - oh, and some music too.

One area that's really grown since Latitude's inception are its theatrical stages. So much so that this year it can again boast a welter of top theatrical names.

Latitude's comedy tent seems to grow in size each year simply because it often proves so popular that heaving crowds can't get inside.

One of the things that sets Latitude apart from other festivals, even Glastonbury, is the emphasis on the written and spoken as much on the sung word.

Kids love festivals as much as grown ups, and Latitude has quickly carved out a niche as one of the most family friendly. This year there's even more stuff aimed at children, so much so that its a mini festival of its own.

Norwich writer John Osborne's first appearance at Latitude, at the first ever festival back in 2006, was a bit of a baptism of fire. But he's been a regular ever since.

Tents, duvets, wet wipes, energy bars and kids ear defenders - what you need to plan from people who been there and done that.

Latitude has quickly established itself as a festival like no other - where poets and writers are given equal billing to big musical names. SIMON PARKIN looks at the secret of its success.