Summary

  • Updates for Friday, 20 January 2017

  • Duke of Cambridge to leave his job with air ambulance charity

  • Court order to evict bed blocker patient

  • Bed blocker using hospital as hotel, claims former patient

  • Volunteers help wardens in clear-up operation at flood-hit nature reserve

  • Funding to improve coastal areas

  • Lambert 'relishing' Carrow Road return

  • World number 10 knocked out of World Professional Indoor Bowls Championships

  1. Watch: Neil speaks about Olsson salepublished at 14:55 Greenwich Mean Time 17 January 2017

    Norwich City manager Alex Neil says the sale of Swedish international Martin Olsson was "good for business".

    He's been signed by Swansea City on a two-and-a-half-year deal, for a fee of around £4m.

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  2. Moving flood memorial 'is not a surprise' says councillorpublished at 14:25 Greenwich Mean Time 17 January 2017

    A proposal to move a town's memorial to victims of the 1953 floods "is not a surprise", says Hunstanton councillor Elizabeth Nockolds.

    She's just taken over responsibility for the town's improvement scheme. 

    After a two-year consultation, Ms Nockolds says there was approval for moving the memorial further along the Esplanade Gardens, to make way for a makeover. 

    "This proposal has been out there for some time. It's been discussed by the Hunstanton Civic Society, external, the Green Management Committee and the town council, external.

    "We don't want to spoil anybody's memories - it was a really bad time in the '53 floods and I wouldn't want to do anything to upset anybody." 

    The 1953 Hunstanton flood memorial

    Long-standing resident Dick Melton remembers the floods. He says it's not just for people in the coastal town but for everybody, including Americans who come to look at it.

    He said: "If it was sited further along, it wouldn't be near the war memorial."   

    A sign for Reis Leming Way, near the memorial
    Quote Message

    A few years ago the path was re-named Reis Leming Way in memory of one of the Americans who rescued a lot of people in the floods, he received a George Medal so this is the most appropriate place to have it."

    Dick Melton

  3. Calls to stop plans to move 1953 flood memorialpublished at 14:09 Greenwich Mean Time 17 January 2017

    Plans to move Hunstanton's 1953 flood memorial to a new location in the resort have upset some residents of the town.

    It stands opposite the war memorial, next to Reis Leming Way, in memory of the 15 local people and 16 Americans who lost their lives. 

    The 1953 flood memorial, in Hunstanton

    The council couldn't pay for a memorial but gave some land, and a group of local men took rocks from the beach, and built the memorial themselves.  Neil Quincey, who's in his 90s, was one of those men - he doesn't think it's necessary to move it.  

    Neil Quincey, seated in armchair
    Quote Message

    "I remember houses being engulfed by floods, men, woman and children found days later washed up miles away... the names inscribed were friends and neighbours who lived by the beach."

    Neil Quincey

  4. Pubs on the decline in Norwichpublished at 13:30 Greenwich Mean Time 17 January 2017

    Norwich used to be known as the city with a pub for every day of the year, but it's no surprise to find out they're on the decline.

    In keeping with the national trend, numbers have dropped by more than 11% in a five year period. Whereas cafes and restaurants are on the increase, seeing a rise of more than 4% and 13% respectively from 2011 to 2016.

    Norwich city centre

    The biggest increase has been in the number of Chinese restaurants doubling from two to four, but bad luck if you had a taste for Tibetan or Turkish fare - there's no longer any outlets with their dishes on the menu.

    And if you fancy a flutter, you're in luck - the number of bookmakers has increased from seven to 10.

    The figures were collated by people walking up and down the city's streets.

  5. 'Return sandbags so we can re-use them' asks councilpublished at 13:03 Greenwich Mean Time 17 January 2017

    Back to our story we brought you yesterday on the appeal by Great Yarmouth Borough Council asking for residents to return any sandbags they were given last week ahead of the storm surge.

    More than 32,000 were handed out, and council leader Graham Plant explains why they want them back.

    He said: "This is the second one in two years - if they're not brought back they'll deteriorate, the sand will break out and block all the drains and then we'll get flooding of a different kind when it rains heavily."

    Graham Plant, standing by some sandbags
    Quote Message

    We're a coastal town. We have to expect this is going to happen. We have contingency set aside for it, but to keep the rates and costs down, please return these sandbags so we can use them again in the future."

    Graham Plant, Leader, Great Yarmouth Borough Council

  6. Business as usual for City directorspublished at 12:38 Greenwich Mean Time 17 January 2017

    Eastern Daily Press

    Under-pressure Canaries banking on fan loyalty - the back page of the Eastern Daily Press, external:

    Back page of the EDPImage source, Archant
  7. You must be joking Mrs Maypublished at 12:20 Greenwich Mean Time 17 January 2017

    Eastern Daily Press

    GPs hit out over PM's comments about opening hours - the front page of today's Eastern Daily Press, external:

    Front page of the EDPImage source, Archant
  8. Sunrise over Norfolk: Your photospublished at 11:53 Greenwich Mean Time 17 January 2017

    Despite a chilly and frosty morning, our BBC Weather Watchers were up bright and early to capture these stunning shots of this morning's sunrise.

    Find out here how you can join our network of snappers. Nicknames and plays on words for your user-name are not compulsory!

    Sun rise over misty trees
    Sun rise over countryside
    Sunrise over countryside
  9. Martin Olsson leaves Norwich Citypublished at 11:33 Greenwich Mean Time 17 January 2017
    Breaking

    Rob Butler
    BBC Radio Norfolk sport

    Norwich City have confirmed that full back Martin Olsson has joined Premier League Swansea City.

    Martin OlssonImage source, Getty Images

    Swedish international Olsson joined City from Blackburn Rovers in 2013. He's made 19 appearances so far this season.

    The fee is undisclosed.

  10. Swansea sign Norwich left-back Olssonpublished at 11:29 Greenwich Mean Time 17 January 2017

    Swansea City sign Sweden left-back Martin Olsson from Championship club Norwich for a fee of around £4m.

    Read More
  11. Greater Anglia sells 40% of business to Japanese companypublished at 11:14 Greenwich Mean Time 17 January 2017

    The rail company Greater Anglia has signed an agreement to sell 40% of its rail franchise to Mitsui & Co, pending final regulatory approvals.

    The two companies have a track record of working together. 

    They first entered into a joint venture to bid for the West Midlands rail franchise in 2016, along with the East Japan Railway Company. 

    Following this, Abellio felt that Mitsui would be the best partner to run the Greater Anglia franchise in a 60:40 venture.

    It will be the first time a Japanese company has became a shareholder of a British train operating company.

    Greater Anglia train

    Abellio first operated the franchise from February 2012, and re-won it in August 2016.

    It will continue to have a majority stake in the business and be in overall control.

    It plans to spend £1.4bn on more than 1,000 new carragies, free wi-fi and station improvements - and has a commitment to cut average journey times by 10%.

  12. Rail delays to continue into afternoonpublished at 10:47 Greenwich Mean Time 17 January 2017

    Passengers travelling on mainline rail services from Norwich to London face delays to their journey. 

    Trains are running at reduced speed, due to a fault with the signalling system between Norwich and Diss.

    Greater Anglia warns of delays, external up to 10 minutes, and says the disruption is expected to continue until 14:00.

  13. Cromer Pier reopenspublished at 10:09 Greenwich Mean Time 17 January 2017

    Cromer Pier has reopened, after being closed for several days following last Friday's storm.

    Hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of damage was caused to the Victorian structure.

    The damage was not caused by waves coming over it, but from the force of waves underneath, pushing up the decking and breaking it.

    Cromer pier
  14. Rail: Delays to journeys between Norwich and Disspublished at 09:53 Greenwich Mean Time 17 January 2017

    Greater Anglia, external warns of delays to rail services between Norwich and Diss.

    A fault with the signalling system means trains are running at  reduced speed. Services may been delayed by up to 10 minutes.

    Network Rail engineers are working to fix the problem. Disruption is expected until mid-morning.

  15. Hemsby: The story of its sea defencespublished at 09:50 Greenwich Mean Time 17 January 2017

    Three properties were lost to the sea and four more were badly damaged when Hemsby was hit by the tidal surge on 5 December 2013.

    The following summer, the campaign group, Save Hemsby Coastline, failed in its bid for government funding to help fight coastal erosion.

    A bungalow falls into the sea in December 2013Image source, Stephen Pond/Getty Images

    In June 2015, honeycomb-shaped concrete blocks were installed along a 361ft (110m) stretch of the coastline, funded from £70,000 raised by residents. Norfolk County Council contributed £50,000.

    But villagers said another 1.5km of defences were needed, costing around £1.5m. The council said it had no plans to provide any more money.

    A view of Hemsby beach, during the installation of the concrete blocks

    Last January, 200 Christmas trees were taken to the beach, to bolster the sea defences.  The trees were buried in groups, to build up the dunes.

    A group of Christmas trees, waiting to be put into the dunes
  16. The rise of the crowdfunded funeralpublished at 09:30 Greenwich Mean Time 17 January 2017

    The funeral of a Big Issue North seller was paid for through donations raised online, but just how common are crowdfunded services?

    Read More
  17. 'Time for help' to extend sea defencespublished at 09:11 Greenwich Mean Time 17 January 2017

    Local people who've built sea defences at Hemsby say they've proved they are fit for purpose.

    They say areas behind the concrete blocks were protected from Friday's storms, whereas other areas of the dunes suffered erosion.

    Installing the hexagonal concrete blocks into the sand

    The beach is owned by the Watling Trust, external, and spokesman David Walker says it's now time for more official help to extend the defences.

    He said: "Nobody's private or public funds are unlimited. We have to find feasible ways forward that's economic and takes accounts of people's interest and livelihoods locally.

    "Hemsby's an important place for us and we have the interests of the people who live here very much at heart."

    Great Yarmouth Borough Council, external spokesperson said there has been "further slippage of the dune system at Hemsby, thought not as great as originally feared" and they'll continue to monitor the system. 

  18. Sea defence trials stood up to the storm surgepublished at 08:37 Greenwich Mean Time 17 January 2017

    A community that built its own sea defences says Friday's storm surge proves their scheme is working. 

    In the tidal surge of 2013, several homes in Hemsby were lost to the sea, and others badly damaged.   

    The Save Hemsby Coastline, external group has had permission to have a trial of a range of concrete block defences and local people say this weekend the hexagonal blocks protected the dunes behind them. Unprotected areas were damaged.

    Hexagonal blocks being installed on the coastline

    Villagers have been raising funds to extend the sea defence trial after the government rejected funding. Ian Brennan, chair of the group, says it needs the scheme signed off by Great Yarmouth Borough Council.

    Quote Message

    The blocks have done very well and I believe that we've now had enough of a test that we should be able to say we're now in a position to apply for planning permission."

    Ian Brennan, Chairman, Save Hemsby Coastline

  19. Nature reserve 'will recover' from floodingpublished at 08:34 Greenwich Mean Time 17 January 2017

    The A149 coast road in Cley next the Sea remains closed due to flooding from the weekend's storms.

    The Cley Marshes Nature Reserve, external is still under water following the high tides and gale force winds that battered the coast on Friday. 

    Kevin Hart, of the Norfolk Wildlife Trust, external, says the damage to the reserve isn't as bad as that suffered in the 2013 storm, but will still need a big clear-up.

    Flooded reed beds

    "We've put different infrastructure in place since then, and new designs to the hides out there, and we've got a tethered boardwalk which floats up, so all our infrastructure stayed in place this time," he said.

    "There's a lot of salt water, which is very bad for the freshwater habitat - the quicker we can get it off, the better and some of the low-lying reed beds will have to be pumped out.

    Flooded Cley marshes, showing the reed beds and a picnic area

    "The salt water is very bad for a number of freshwater species, so there will be wildlife casualties but it's interesting how resilient nature is. When we've brushed off some of the reed thatch today it's been full of invertebrates, so it's not a disaster but the reserve does need to recover from this.

    "It's not the first time it's happened here, it won't be the last and these species will bounce back."

    Cley marshes at sunset
  20. Weather: Dry but cold with sunny periodspublished at 08:14 Greenwich Mean Time 17 January 2017

    Kate Kinsella
    BBC Look East weather

    Many places will have increasing amounts of sunshine today but a little cloud is still likely at times.

    It will remain dry everywhere with light winds, but also feeling cold. 

    Maximum Temperature: 4C (39F) 

    More details from BBC Weather: