Summary

  • Updates for Friday, 21 October 2016

  • Investigation into why whale washed up on Holkham beach

  • Woman driver in her 80s dies in crash near Thetford

  • King's Lynn finish sixth in speedway Elite League after cancellation

  1. Man died after taking drugs found in binpublished at 16:16 British Summer Time 19 May 2020

    Thomas Bourke, 25, died in his sleep after taking medication found in a bin.

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  2. What the papers say in Norfolk...published at 14:03 British Summer Time 19 May 2020

    • The Lynn News, external is reporting on the economic impact of coronavirus which it says has seen unemployment benefit claims in west Norfolk jump to their highest level in nearly 25 years
    • Dining greenhouses that have sprung up on the banks of Amsterdam's canals are coming to Norfolk’s waterways according to the EDP, external
    • And the Great Yarmouth Mercury, external says campsite owners are geared up to adapt their businesses to keep customers safe as they keep their fingers crossed for a summer reopening
  3. Seaside town's big summer events called off over Covid-19published at 13:24 British Summer Time 19 May 2020

    More festivals have been cancelled due to the pandemic including Great Yarmouth Wheels Festival, Great Yarmouth Maritime Festival and the Out There Festival.

    Out There festival performer

    Carl Smith, leader of Great Yarmouth Borough Council, which normally runs the Wheels Festival in July, said: "While we're all sad these popular events can't go ahead this year, public health and safety must be everyone's top priority, and being safe while having a good time is an important part of a positive visitor experience.

    Joe Mackintosh, director of Sea Change Arts which organises the Out There International Festival of Circus and Street Arts, said the cancellation was inevitable.

    "We have diversified our offering by creating free online circus tutorials and implementing a circus equipment giveaway to support wellbeing and provide healthy activities to the young people," he said.

    A number of other events are also cancelled for this year, including the Great Yarmouth Festival of Bowls and the Gorleston bandstand concerts.

  4. Norwich and Watford could return to training tomorrowpublished at 16:27 British Summer Time 18 May 2020

    Pete Cooper
    BBC News

    Premier League clubs have agreed to stage one of the return to training protocols which allows teams to start training in small groups from Tuesday.

    Clubs voted unanimously on the decision at Monday's "Project Restart" meeting.

    Players must observe social distancing rules, and contact training is not permitted.

    Norwich City published the Premier League's statement on their website, external which said: "The health and wellbeing of all participants is the Premier League's priority, and the safe return to training is a step-by-step process."

    Watford simply tweeted a picture of their training ground with the words "back soon".

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  5. Seaside towns have contrasting number of sun-seekerspublished at 12:50 British Summer Time 18 May 2020

    Pete Cooper
    BBC News

    Southend-on-Sea saw the crowds return this weekend, but it wasn't always the same story further north around the East Anglian coast.

    Lockdown exercise and travel restrictions were eased by the government, and the sun has continued to shine.

    Media caption,

    Tourists flock to Southend beach as lockdown eases

    Along with Clacton, it appeared Great Yarmouth was not as busy either.

    Last week the borough council told would-be tourists to "stay away", external insisting the toilets and car parks would remain closed, and it looks like people listened...

    Great Yarmouth
    Great Yarmouth
    Image caption,

    Great Yarmouth's Pleaure Beach fun fair

  6. What the papers are saying in Norfolk...published at 11:04 British Summer Time 18 May 2020

  7. 'I'm speechless our young pupils will return soon'published at 02:31 British Summer Time 16 May 2020

    A Suffolk primary school shows how it is trying to prepare for more pupils to arrive in June.

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  8. Water company staff 'abused' over park closurespublished at 19:05 British Summer Time 15 May 2020

    Anglian Water says its seven leisure sites will remain closed until user safety is "certain".

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  9. Head teacher claims social distancing 'impossible'published at 18:45 British Summer Time 15 May 2020

    Debbie Whiting believes children are better to fall behind in their learning but be safe.

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  10. Deeney & Hanley raise restart concernspublished at 18:05 British Summer Time 15 May 2020

    Watford and Norwich captains Troy Deeney and Grant Hanley have raised concerns about the Premier League's plan to return.

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  11. 'Understand the risks' if going to the coastpublished at 13:56 British Summer Time 15 May 2020

    Lifeboat crewsImage source, Paul Russell

    The relaxation of lockdown rules could lead to "something unexpectedly going wrong" as more people travel to our coasts, a lifeboat station said.

    The Cromer RNLI branch , externalsaid if they were called out, it would force crews to "take extra risk because they may not be able to maintain safe distancing".

    LifeboatImage source, Paul Russell

    "We therefore want to take all possible steps to ensure the public are aware of the risks to themselves and to others and are also aware of the ways to keep safe around our shores," a statement said.

    It is reminding everyone to remain vigilant, take care on cliffs and have a plans if visiting potentially dangerous tidal areas.

  12. Dippy the dinosaur's visit to cathedral postponedpublished at 13:38 British Summer Time 15 May 2020

    The final stop of a tour by Dippy the Dinosaur, who used to grace the Hintze Hall at London's Natural History Museum, has been postponed.

    The 26-metre (85ft) dinosaur, was due at Norwich Cathedral from 11 July until 31 October, but The Dippy on Tour: A Natural History Adventure exhibition, external has now been delayed until a later date.

    Dippy the dinosaurImage source, Trustees of the Natural History Museum

    The Dean of Norwich, the Very Reverend Jane Hedges, said: "The cathedral is still very much looking forward to hosting the final stop on Dippy’s tour and is working closely with both the Natural History Museum and Rochdale’s Number One Riverside – where Dippy is currently located – to decide the best and safest way for Dippy to continue his tour."

    Alex Burch, from the Natural History Museum, said: "To date Dippy has encouraged many thousands of visitors to engage with natural history and we very much want Dippy to complete his full tour and inspire even more people of all ages."

  13. 'NHS Knittingale' to raise money for hospitalspublished at 19:41 British Summer Time 14 May 2020

    Margaret Seaman, 91, has been knitting her model hospital every day since 1 April to raise money.

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  14. Shopkeeper moves 12,000 plants into home to carry on tradingpublished at 13:39 British Summer Time 14 May 2020

    A shopkeeper who has moved 12,000 plants through her two-bedroom bungalow since lockdown began has said her online business is blooming.

    Plants fill a houseImage source, PA Media

    Kerri Notman, 29, decided to close the doors at her plant and gift shop in Norwich a day before the coronavirus lockdown was formally announced.

    She said she felt it was safer for customers and her family to run a delivery operation from her home near Mattishall in Norfolk, and that since doing so her online orders have tripled.

    "We're doing 200 to 300 plants easily per day. I think everyone's just sitting at home bored and they want to buy more stuff, they want to make their houses look good and with all the shops closed they're spending their money online," she said.

  15. All quiet in Norwich city centrepublished at 13:38 British Summer Time 14 May 2020

    Despite the government lifting restrictions on people going to public spaces, Norwich city centre remained quiet, as captured in these images by Imogen Baker.

    Norwich City CentreImage source, Imogen Baker
    Norwich City CentreImage source, Imogen Baker

    She took these pictures a few hours ago on a trip to the bank.

  16. 'I feel like the world has covered my ears up'published at 12:42 British Summer Time 14 May 2020

    A woman makes a social media video highlighting issues deaf people face when people wear masks.

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  17. Norwich anti-body testing zone 'would help nation'published at 12:18 British Summer Time 14 May 2020

    Mariam Issimdar
    BBC News

    Earlier we told you about calls from scientists for Norwich's population to carry out mass anti-body testing for coronavirus, now that a more reliable test has been found.

    Coronavirus modelImage source, Getty Images

    Prof Neil Hall, from the Earlham Institute, a Norwich based research centre, would like to run a pilot of some 10,000 residents first.

    "One of the reasons why this virus has been so difficult to control is that you have asymptomatic carriage of the virus in the population, people who don't know that they're ill, and this is why it's moved so rapidly around the world," he said.

    He added that by knowing more about where the "key points of transmission are" in Norwich, the knowledge would help the rest of the country know where to relax restrictions and where to keep them in place.

    "The way we'd envisage doing it is we'd post out test kits to people, they would be barcoded, they'd self-swab and then someone would come round once a week to pick up the tests," said Prof Hall.

    Earlham Institute board member, the former North Norfolk MP and health minister, Sir Norman Lamb said he had been in talks with the Department of Health about funding the mass test programme, which would cost in the region of £5m.

    A government spokesman said: "We continually consider options to extend testing, but have no immediate plans for city-wide testing."

  18. Norwich put forward for coronavirus testing zonepublished at 12:16 British Summer Time 14 May 2020

    Mariam Issimdar
    BBC News

    Scientists in Norwich are working on a plan to test the city's population for Covid-19.

    Norwich marketImage source, Geograph\Evelyn Simak

    The Earlham Institute , externalin Norwich says the city centre, which has about about 140,000 people, is ideal to see if mass testing would be more effective in stopping the virus spreading.

    A range of tests which the public could easily administer are being looked at including swabs and simple spit tests.

    Professor Neil Hall, director of the Earlham Institute, admitted some people may not carry out the tests correctly but said testing on such a scale would still have some "positive impact" in helping the economy resume and public health.

  19. Chinese student uses his own money to buy face maskspublished at 08:26 British Summer Time 14 May 2020

    Songze ChangImage source, University of East Anglia

    An international student from China has used his own money to buy face masks for his local community.

    Songze Chang, 24, from Shanxi, began distributing them around Norfolk.

    The University of East Anglia student was inspired to do it after he was stopped while wearing one in the supermarket by an elderly man who had been looking to buy them in shops.

    "I bought 100 face masks from China online and packed them up including some positive messages and an image of my national flag,” he said.

    PPE in boxesImage source, University of East Anglia

    After posting his actions online he has received 8,000 masks from Chinese people who were inspired by his actions.

    They have so far been donated to Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, Earlham Police station and local care homes.

    "We are so proud of him and his friends for their selfless efforts", the university said.