A coastal town's new bridge is set to receive its royal seal of approval later than expected.

Princess Anne is set to officially open the third crossing of the £145m Gull Wing Bridge in Lowestoft this afternoon.

But now a spokesman for the Suffolk County Council has said that The Princess Royal "is running approximately 30 minutes behind schedule at the moment due to delays caused by the weather."

Princess Anne is running about 30 minutes late due to bad weather (Image: Jane Barlow/PA Wire) He added: "Please factor that into your journey times if you are heading into Lowestoft.  Expecting arrival onwards from about 2pm at the moment."

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The opening of the new 345-metre bridge - designed to combat congestion - has been heralded as a success following its public opening on September 7.

Following the delay, The Princess Royal is now set to arrive on the bridge at about 2pm and meet local county councillors and community groups.

She will then see the bridge lift before meeting the young people who named the bridge before unveiling the plaque.