A photographer was "elated" after he caught a stunning picture of the Milky Way near Ipswich.

Shaun Sams captured the picture of the phenomenon over The Strand near Shotley Peninsula on Tuesday (August 2).

Mr Sams said he has been trying to get a shot of the Milky Way for a couple of years.

He added: "It is quite frustrating as the Core is only over us for six months.

"Then you need a night with no clouds or moon.

"You have to take a photo with as long an exposure time as you can manage but, because the Earth is rotating, the stars will start to ‘trail’ after 15 – 20 seconds.

"Add to that the light pollution from the Port of Felixstowe and Parkstone Quay and it starts to become even harder.

"In an effort to overcome this, I brought a Star Tracker which rotates at the same speed as the Earth, in the opposite direction, to allow for longer, less sensitive exposures.

"This photo is the result of the first time I have used the tracker, it was a total exposure time of nine minutes.

"I think the car passing by when I was there was an added bonus.

"I was elated when I saw the result although I still feel I have a long way to go.

"At this time of year, the Milky Way forms an arch, so I am hoping the clouds hold off long enough for me to try and get the whole arch in a photo."

Suffolk is a popular place for photographers to get pictures of the Milky Way.

Incredible photos were taken of the Milky Way rising over Shingle Street were taken last month.

Aldeburgh is also a popular place for astronomical photos to be taken with many photographers taking to the coast to get a pic of the Milky Way.