TikTok: Sheringham Shantymen hope online craze attracts 'new blood'

A sea shanty craze on social media has been "a welcome boost" for the centuries-old genre, a director of a singing group said.

The songs, traditionally sung by seafarers, have been played more than 3.5 billion times on TikTok in recent weeks.

The Sheringham Shantymen is a Norfolk-based group founded in 1988 which has played gigs all over the world, but has been singing together virtually during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Music director Brian Farrows said: "There's always a risk of it dying out, you have to have new blood. I'm sure this will give it a very welcome boost."

Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, external, Instagram, external and Twitter, external. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk