Stowmarket Town bring in Mildenhall Town's Natty Stewart and Luke Hipkin from AFC Sudbury

The summer incomings are under way at Stowmarket Town.

In recent days the Old Gold & Blacks have seen Ollie Brown and Josh Mayhew – both key players in the club's recent rise to Step 4 football – accept the opportunity to be reunited with former Stowmarket boss Rick Andrews at AFC Sudbury.

However, manager Paul Musgrove has now started the process of putting together his squad for next term with the additions of Natty Stewart and Luke Hipkin.

The attack-minded Stewart arrives at Greens Meadow following a campaign in the Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division with Mildenhall Town.

Stewart – a former King's Lynn Town and Norwich United player – found the net on 13 occasions from 29 appearances to help Mildenhall to a third-placed finish.

Musgrove said of the acquisition of Stewart: "Natty is someone I've liked for a long while. We've tracked him since he was at Norwich United and when I saw he'd left Mildenhall it felt like the ideal time to get him involved.

"I can see him playing as part of a front two or three for us. He's strong, quick, got a good eye for goal and he's a tenacious player as well."

Hipkin, meanwhile, moves in the opposite direction to Sudbury-bound Brown and Mayhew.

The winger, who graduated through the Yellows' academy system, made 16 appearances in the Isthmian League North Division last term – scoring three goals in the process.

"You don't often get the chance to sign young players of Luke's quality," added Musgrove. "We identified him last year after he played really well against us.

"He's someone we hope we can help to progress and kick on – he's got a bright future.

"Sometimes you've got to give young lads a chance to show what they can do and with good senior players around him – like he'll have with us – hopefully he can thrive."

On the departures of Brown and Mayhew to a fellow Suffolk side, Musgrove insisted that there are no hard feelings and that he wished the pair all the best for the future.

"They're really good lads. Sometimes opportunities come along in football and people want a new challenge," he said.

"It's a new chapter for them and I can't speak highly enough about them. Our loss is Sudbury's gain."

In more positive news for Musgrove, it has been confirmed in the past 48 hours that captain Tom Bullard, Joe Jefford and Jack Ainsley have all committed themselves to the club for next season.