People in Ipswich have been asked to put their bins out overnight in order for waste crews to avoid heatwave temperatures.

The announcement comes as the county is in the middle of a heatwave that could see temperatures soar to 36C on Thursday.

In order to prevent workers carrying out their duties in the highest temperatures, Ipswich Borough Council has advised service users to put their bins out overnight to allow for earlier collections.

Announcing the news, a council spokesman said: "We ask people to be prepared and patient - our crews do a great job but this will help during the heatwave."

The exact timings of the new collections are not currently known.

With the school summer holidays set to start for most pupils across the county today, the council has also advised people flocking to parks and open spaces to wear a hat, drink plenty of water and to stay in the shade when necessary.

The spokesman added: "We have some lovely parks for people to enjoy but either take a few precautions or head for a shady spot to avoid the effects of the sun. We are not being killjoys; we just want people to enjoy themselves without getting sun-burnt or dehydrated."