Messages have support have been strewn along the railings of a care home at the centre of Covid-19 outbreak in Hadleigh.

Positive coronavirus cases were confirmed at Magdalen House in the town centre last week, with other cases recorded at Wayerfield care home and Hadleigh High School.

Sympathetic messages of support, ribbons, and other items were placed on the railings outside the home in Magdalen Road, which had many NHS rainbow pictures in the windows.

One note thanking the staff and signed by Dale, Bridget, Alex, Georgia and Kirsten, read: 'You are my eyes, my ears and voice to my mum, my hand to hold here's. For that I am eternally grateful. Stay strong."

Households mixing was perceived as being one of the main reasons for the increased spread in the town and extra measures were announced to stem the outbreak.

Babergh district council issued a special Covid alert for Hadleigh, the first in south Suffolk, although other areas in the county had already been subjected to the special hyper-local alerts.

Frank Minns, the Hadleigh town mayor, added his voice on Friday by asking residents to be extra vigilant in observing all the guidance about distancing, masks and hand washing.

He added: "Everyone here should now be avoiding leaving the house unless it is absolutely essential, to take children to school for instance, or for food. Please keep on using our local shops - they need our support at this very difficult time - but be very conscious of the rules and look out for others all the time."

It was clear on Saturday residents were heeding the advice with the town centre relatively deserted, as our picture of the High Street taken in the early afternoon, shows.

All the pubs, and many shops were closed, with only food outlets, such as the award-winning Ferguson's Deli, open and the car parks were fairly empty.

Figures show 91 confirmed cases were reported in Babergh in the seven days leading up to Tuesday, November 10, giving it a ratio of 101 case for 100,000, the worst in Suffolk.

Suffolk's director of Public Health England warned at the county's health and Wellbeing board meeting on Friday the importance of everyone taking the increase in infection rates very seriously. Full story here...