Three hundred people who dipped in the North Sea off Cromer on Boxing Day not only raised a record-breaking £4,000 for the town's RNLI, but also took the plunge in memory of former dipper, Tony West.

Mr West, 54, died of cancer in September. His son Terry (above) was among those who took part in the annual event.

"It fills me with pride to witness how the local community has pulled together in memory of one of the the most community-spirited individuals I know, my dad," he said.

"Dad would have been amazed and truly delighted with the phenomenal amount of money raised in his name, in keeping with the family tradition and for a cause close to his heart." 

Image source, Chris Taylor Photo

Keeping up with the family's dipping traditions, Terry West's seven-year-old nephew, Alfie (above), raised £700 of the annual dip's donation to the town's lifeboat.

"It was a great effort and an amazing amount of money, I'm one very proud uncle," Mr West said.

"Also a huge thank you to all of you who were involved... we will be forever grateful."

The body of a man found in a property in Dereham has been identified as Stuart Yates.

Police officers were called to a flat in Boundary Close shortly after 14:45 on Friday, following concerns for the safety of a man. They found the body of 48-year-old Mr Yates inside.

The death is being treated as unexplained, after a post-mortem examination proved inconclusive. The property is sealed off while police investigations continue.

An elderly dog found abandoned in Great Yarmouth was suffering so severely from a large tumour that he had to be put to sleep.

A passer-by who found the Jack Russell crossbreed collapsed on Nelson Road at around 11:30 on Saturday,  took him straight to the veterinary hospital in Gorleston.

Image source, RSPCA

A microchip revealed the dog's name as Charlie, but the address given was incorrect. He was believed to be more than 14 years old.

RSPCA inspector Ben Kirby says it was a cruel thing to abandon the elderly dog. 

"He was extremely thin, his teeth were in a real state, he had a severe tumour so large it forced his eyes closed... he was put to sleep to end his suffering," he said.

The trial has begun of a man accused of murdering a couple from Suffolk. 

Ali Qazimaj, 43, originally from Tilbury, Essex, denies killing Peter Stuart and his wife Sylvia. 

Mr Stuart's body was found stabbed to death near the couple's home at Weybread last June. Mrs Stuart's body has not been found.

At the start of the prosecution case, Kharim Khalil QC said at the heart of the case was a dispute over identity.

He said: "We say Ali Qazimaj killed these two people. 

"The defendant claims he's not Ali Qazimaj. He claims to be called Vital Dapi. We say it's a lie."

Mr Khalil told the jury at Ipswich Crown Court: "You have to decide whether Ali Qazimaj is the murderer, and whether the defendant is Ali Qazimaj."

The trial continues.

Tonight's basement battle between Wroxham and Brentwood Town is off.

The Yachtsmen are second bottom in the Ryman Division One North,  Brentwood are only a place above them but eight points better off.

Martin Barber
BBC News

Image source, Chris Taylor Photo

Dippers who took a North Sea plunge on Boxing Day off the coast at Cromer have raised a record-breaking amount of money from the seaside town's annual event.

About 300 people braced the chilly conditions, supported by hundreds more spectators - to raise £4,000 for the town's lifeboat, external.

It is the most amount of money raised from a single dip since the event, organised by the North Norfolk Beach Runners, started in 1985 "a bit of a dare".

The money was presented to the RNLI at the weekend.

Relive live text commentary of Wigan Athletic's home draw with Norwich City in the Championship as it happened.

Time now for a weather update - don't put your brolly away!

The outbreaks of rain and drizzle will continue, and in some coastal areas may persist all day. It will turn drier and brighter in the west of the county for a time.

The temperature will reach a high of 7C (45F).

Thanks to BBC Weather Watcher Jo for this snap of Norwich market place, and St Peter Mancroft church.

Former Health Minister and North Norfolk MP, Norman Lamb, has called for an end to "outrageous discrimination" towards people with mental health conditions.

The Liberal Democrat health spokesman told MPs that one of his constituents faces a two-year wait for NHS treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Speaking during health questions, Mr Lamb said he and the Secretary of State "published a vision to achieve comprehensive maximum waiting times standards in mental health" in 2014, so that those with mental health had the same right to access treatment at the same time.

Health Minister Jeremy Hunt admitted the patient's wait was too long but said he was "disappointed" by claims of discrimination as the government had invested £1bn more a year in treating mental health conditions that previous governments. 

Shadow Health Minister Barbara Keeley says action is needed to make sure mental health services are properly funded and properly staffed.

She made her in comments in the Commons in response to the Health Secretary's suggestion that every primary should have a mental health expert in order to avert potential problems for pupils. 

Jeremy Hunt told MPs that 50% of all mental health conditions became established before people are aged 14.

Ms Keeley said that last night's BBC Panorama programme showed mental health services are not funded properly, citing the example of the Norfolk and Suffolk Mental health trust where funding cuts led to community teams being disbanded, and the loss of both staff and inpatient psychiatric beds.

The jury has been sworn in at the trial of a man accused of murdering a Suffolk couple.

Image source, Suffolk Police

Ali Qazimaj, 43, originally from Tilbury, Essex, has been charged in connection with the deaths of Peter Stuart and his wife Sylvia. 

Mr Stuart's body was found in the village of Weybread, Suffolk, in June. His wife's body has not been found.  

CCTV images showed the couple were last seen at a farm shop in Norfolk.

The trial is being held at Ipswich Crown Court.

Artefacts and artwork on display at the Lynn Museum in west Norfolk, external can now be viewed at the click of a button after it entered into a partnership with the Google Cultural Institute.

Using the "street view" feature, people will also be able to move around the King's Lynn musuem virtually.

Image source, Norfolk Museum Service

Highlights of the collection include a gold coin hoard found in a cow bone at Sedgeford (pictured above).

"Still Life" by Walter Dexter (pictured below) is one of 55 pieces of artwork that can be viewed in high resolution. 

Image source, Norfolk Museum Service

Chair of the county council's joint museums committee, John Ward, says the partnership will not only generate new audiences but provide existing ones with a new way of exploring the town's heritage.

Image source, Norfolk Musuem Service

Lynn News

Driver exists test centre on wrong side, external of road - the Lynn News front page today:

Image source, Lynn News

The Queen's annual winter break has come to an end and she has left Norfolk and returned to London.

Earlier this morning, she boarded a train at King's Lynn station to return to the capital.

Image source, PA

The Queen, who traditionally spends the Christmas and New Year period at her private Sandringham estate, made history yesterday by becoming the first British monarch to reach their sapphire jubilee. 

Image source, PA

A heavy cold had forced the Queen and Prince Philip to delay their journey to Norfolk for their annual break, and forced her to miss church over Christmas.   

A student at Suffolk New College, external in Ipswich, who's doing a Level three patisserie course, has been offered a full-time role at the prestigious Ritz Hotel, external in London once his studies come to an end.

Image source, Suffolk New College

William Kerry, 22, from Norwich, said: "I was really pleased when I was offered a week’s work experience.

"It was even better to then be offered a job at the end of it."

Among the guests staying at the five-star hotel during William’s week-long work experience placement were music stars Rod Stewart and Tom Jones.

Now for a story on the council that's using goats to keep the grass down - no kidding!

The goats were brought in by North Norfolk District Council to clear the weeds and overgrown vegetation on Cromer's cliff tops last summer.

It would have cost the council £15,000 to keep Melbourne Hill under control, so it did the obvious thing - and bought the eight goats for £25 each. 

They've proved so successful - and a popular tourist attraction - that the council hopes to expand their grazing area. 

It will cost the council £12,000 to fence in the larger area but councillor Judy Oliver says it's a lot cheaper and more natural than using people and machines.  

Last week, Norfolk's Chief Constable Simon Bailey shared an image of himself on social media to demonstrate how it can be seen by a large number of people over a short space of time.

The image was seen more than 1.5m times.

Image source, Norfolk Police

Speaking on Safer Internet Day today, Simon Bailey said that he hopes that his image being shared that many times reminds people that once you hit "send" you lose control of the content.  

Richard Daniel
BBC Look East

The East of England Co-op has promised to carry on paying free-range egg producers the same as they do now, while the current restrictions on keeping hens outside continue, regardless of what description is on the box.

Spokesman Roger Grosvenor said: "During this period of time we want the industry to be supported and I would implore others to do the same because at the end of this we still want to have producers of eggs in the UK."

The Co-op is preparing to put stickers on boxes which currently say "free range", to relabel them as "barn eggs".

Network Norfolk

A Norwich church suffered a break-in over the weekend, external when computers, sound and lighting equipment were stolen along with Foodbank supplies intended for those in need.

Image source, Network Norfolk

Police have been given a further 24 hours to question a 49-year-old man who was arrested at the weekend in connection with a murder in Toftwood.

Officers, called to an address in Boyd Avenue shortly after 15:20 on Sunday, discovered the body of a man aged in his 60s. The property remains sealed off while police investigations continue.

Det Ch Insp Marie James says they're following "several lines of inquiry", and have increased patrols in the area to reassure the local community.

A post-mortem examination is to take place later today.