Hundreds of cars have been destroyed by fire at a scrapyard in south Norfolk. 

Ten fire engines and more than 70 firefighters were called to the incident at Seething, near Loddon, late last night.

Their task was made more complicated by the fact the cars were stacked and there was a risk they could fall over. Owner David Yarham said about "600 to 700" cars were burnt.    

A jury has found a man who died following a 14-hour stand-off with police near Norwich took his own life but did not intend to do so.

Image source, Family photo

Kamal Nour, 40, barricaded himself inside his flat at Costessey in August 2014, threatening to cut his throat if police officers entered. Police, who had last had contact with him just after 18:00 on 14 August 2014, forced entry shortly after 20:00 and found him hanged. 

The coroner ruled the actions of the police and Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, which had previously had contact with Mr Nour, did not contribute to his death.

Laura Devlin
BBC News

A family doctor jailed for 12 years for raping and sexually assaulting two children has admitted further abuse.

Dr Hugh Blaise O'Neill, 62, from Tasburgh, Norfolk, was sentenced in January 2015 after admitting two counts of rape and three counts of gross indecency.

He has pleaded guilty to 13 counts of indecent assault on a female on what was to be the first day of his trial at Norwich Crown Court. 

He is due to be sentenced next week. 

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Two people were taken to hospital following a barn fire in south Norfolk at the weekend.

East of England Ambulance Service, external attended Lodge Road, Tivetshall St Margaret, shortly after 17:30 yesterday.

A woman and a man were treated for smoke inhalation and minor burns to their hands before being taken to the West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds.  Another woman was discharged at the scene with no obvious injuries. 

A 31-year-old tractor driver remains in hospital after his vehicle was in collision with a train at an unmanned level crossing in Norfolk yesterday.

Paul Seaman from Norfolk Fire and Rescue Services says it was a "high-speed collision", adding it was fortunate that the train didn't derail so that they were dealing with a lot less casualties than they could have been.  

Norwich Evening News

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Norwich Evening News

The front page of today's Norwich Evening News, external:

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A popular cut-through to the north of Norwich is closing, due to work on the Northern Distributor Road, external (NDR).

Image source, Norfolk County Council/Ordnance Survey

Drayton Lane, between the B1149 Holt Road and Reepham Road, is being re-aligned to run from a new roundabout on the Holt Road to a roundabout on the NDR.  Once complete in 2017, all Holt Road traffic will use this route.

Other work begins today on the Low Road in the Plumstead area, and at Fakenham Road. 

Wymondham Leisure Centre, external has reopened after it closed months ago for refurbishment.

South Norfolk Council has spent more than £3.5m on new facilities, including a two-storey gym, sauna and spa area, and a new cafe.

Martin Wilby, deputy leader of the council, said the authority was aware of the "crucial role that regular participation in sport and physical activity can have" on residents. 

The driver of a tractor remains in hospital with serious injuries after his vehicle was in collision with a train at an unmanned level crossing in Roudham yesterday. 

The train was travelling from Norwich to Cambridge when the crash happened at about 12:30. The train driver and several passengers were also taken to hospital.  

Andrew Sinclair
BBC Look East political correspondent

County councillors have begun discussing plans for East Anglian devolution.

Liberal Democrat group leader Marie Strong questioned the need for a directly-elected mayor, saying: "We were told the role of mayor was optional... when did it become compulsory?"

Labour council leader George Nobbs replied: "We were told by ministers it's that or nothing."

The Conservative group leader Cliff Jordan said the plans so far had generated "a lot of confusion."

British Transport Police, external is not treating the death of a person who was struck by a train at Cringleford, near Norwich, earlier today as suspicious.

Norfolk Police and the East of England Ambulance Service attended the incident and the person was pronounced dead at the scene.

Trains on the route between Norwich and Cambridge are delayed by up to fifteen minutes.

The jury is considering its verdict in the case of a man who died following a 14-hour police stand-off near Norwich. 

Kamal Nour barricaded himself inside his flat in Costessey, in August 2014, threatening to cut his throat if officers entered. Norfolk Coroner's Court heard his mother, Norma Nour, say his cries for help were ignored by mental health services.  

The jury has been instructed to consider a verdict suicide or narrative conclusion.

Andrew Sinclair
BBC Look East political correspondent

Norfolk County Council has started debating plans for East Anglian devolution which would see a directly elected mayor for Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire.

Council leader George Nobbs, who had led the negotiations, admitted that the proposals in their present form were flawed but he said the council should continue negotiating. 

A rail passenger has been describing the moment a train hit a tractor at an unmanned level crossing near Roudham yesterday.

Chris Last was sitting across the aisle from one of the windows that was smashed in the crash, and says he "got a face-full of broken glass". He described how the train made a rumbling and grinding noise, and it "felt like it was going to tip over".

Mr Last said the train was "still going at some speed and the wind kept blowing shards of glass into the carriage". He said there was a lot of "pretty horrendous screaming, panic attacks, not injury.... everyone rallied round and was supportive of each other... it was incredible that no one was more seriously hurt".

Rail passengers on services between Norwich and Cambridge are facing delays of up to one hour, due to emergency services dealing with an incident.

British Transport Police say a person has been struck by a train at Cringleford.

Hundreds of people attended a candlelit vigil at the weekend in memory of a seven-year-old Norwich girl who died after a bouncy castle blew away.

Summer Grant died after the inflatable she was on broke free and was lifted into the air by the wind in Harlow, Essex.

Her uncle, Shawn Grant, says the inflatables should be banned until an investigation into the incident is complete. 

Firefighters have been dealing with a major blaze at a scrapyard.

Ten fire engines and more than 70 firefighters were called to the incident at Seething, near Loddon, last night. Incident commander Tim Edwards said it was a challenging job, with more than 1,000 vehicles involved at the height of the fire.

The blaze has now been put out, but about a dozen firefighters remain on site.

Eastern Daily Press

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Phil Daley
BBC Radio Norfolk sport

Norwich City are waiting on news of how serious the injury to Timm Klose is.

The central defender was taken off in the first half of the Canaries' defeat at Crystal Palace after he landed awkwardly.

Image source, Getty Images

Norwich manager Alex Neil told BBC Radio Norfolk: "It's a blow; he's been great for us and it's disappointing. We'll analyse the injury over the next day or so."