Ed Sheeran announces third date in Ipswich

Ed Sheeran has revealed he will play an extra gig in his home county.

Tickets to see the singer, who grew up in Framlingham, Suffolk, play at Chantry Park in Ipswich went on sale at 10:00 BST.

The Castle on the Hill singer announced a third date in the town two hours later.

Apart from surprise festival sets, the gigs on 23, 24 and 25 August will be the first time he has performed in Suffolk since since 2014.

Sheeran will also play at Roundhay Park, Leeds, on 16 and 17 August as part of his European tour.

The Yorkshire dates will also have a homecoming feel to them - as Sheeran was born in Halifax before moving to Suffolk.

Tickets for the Leeds dates went on sale at the same time.

The dates are part of his tour to support the release of his album Divide, which came out in March 2017.

Before becoming a global superstar, Sheeran built up his career slowly, performing at pubs and clubs in Suffolk and further afield. But despite continuing to live in the county, local shows have become a rarity.

In November 2010 he played at The Swan in Ipswich, entertaining fans with a post-set performance on the street, and in 2012 he headlined a show at Thetford Forest.

Two years later Sheeran celebrated the release of his album Multiply with an intimate gig at The Steamboat, Ipswich, where he had performed numerous times years before. Since then, his only shows in the county have been two surprise appearances at the Latitude Festival in 2015.