2+ day, 20+ hour ago (812+ words) Serving Norfolk police officers have warned that their force's diversity and equality policies are making them "less efficient", a MP has said. Rupert Lowe, who represents Great Yarmouth, said officers working in the town had complained to him that policies aimed at boosting diversity and inclusion were undermining their work. The MP raised the concerns at a Westminster meeting of the public accounts committee, of which he is a member. The committee has been exploring the spread of DEI, or EDI (diversity, equality and inclusion) policies in the public sector. Rupert Lowe, speaking at a parliamentary committee (Image: Parliament TV) "A lot of policemen are coming to me in my constituency in Great Yarmouth," he said. "These are operational policemen who are very frustrated by this DEI nonsense." He added: "They come to see me because they are being made…...

1+ week, 3+ day ago (199+ words) A long-awaited paperless ticket system is set to launch on buses across Norfolk this weekend. Tap On Tap Off, a new way to pay for your travel, will make its debut on First Bus vehicles on November 23. Commuters will be able to easily pay for adult fares by scanning a contactless card or payment device on the tap-off readers onboard. " First Bus confirmed they would introduce the payment system in the next 12 months in November 2024 during a crisis talk with Norwich North MP Alice Macdonald. It followed public criticism of the actions of the company's revenue protection officers who were accused of being heavy-handed in penalising infractions. Piers Marlow, managing director for First Bus, said: "This system will mean greater convenience for passengers using contactless payment methods for adult single and return tickets on the bus." A single journey will…...

2+ day, 1+ hour ago (390+ words) Taxpayers could be left with a bill of almost "1m to print and post booklets detailing the candidates in the first ever Norfolk and Suffolk mayoral election. The documents will be sent to 1.3m households across the two counties ahead of the vote next May. The initial distribution costs will be met by Norfolk and Suffolk county councils. Norfolk County Council's Conservative-controlled cabinet is next week due to start the process of tendering for a company to print and distribute the leaflets. Norfolk County Council's County Hall headquarters (Image: Mike Page) Elections for the mayor - who would oversee major projects across the two counties, as well as transport and housing - are due to take place in May next year. The booklet would contain details of the election process and what are known as election addresses by the candidates - where they explain why…...

4+ day, 1+ hour ago (318+ words) Locals in a north Norfolk town are being asked to share their views on proposals to build a new Aldi. The discount retail giant is looking to open its first store in Holt on land off Old Station Way, accessed from A148 Cromer Road. Around 40 new full and part time jobs will be created if the development is given the go-ahead. Aldi would also join other big name supermarket chains in the town, including Budgens and Morrisons Daily. Previous plans were in place to open in Holt, but these were scrapped in 2017 despite receiving planning permission. The new store would create around 40 new jobs in the local area A 1,140 square metre sales area and 98 car parking spaces are planned for the site, including five accessible ones as well as six parent and child spaces. The scheme is said to represent a…...

3+ day, 16+ hour ago (164+ words) A new 5G network has been switched on in Norfolk. O2 has launched its 5G Standalone network, which has been dubbed its most advanced mobile network yet. Customers across Norfolk will be able to enjoy at least 90pc outdoor coverage, with major hubs located in'Norwich, Great Yarmouth, King's'Lynn'and Thetford." The network is available to O2 customers with compatible devices at no extra cost. Dr Robert Joyce, director of mobile access engineering at O2, said:We are investing "2m every single day to improve our mobile network and provide a more reliable experience for our customers. "By expanding our 5G Standalone network to Norfolk, we are upgrading services for local people and are excited about the opportunities the new network will bring. "This customer-centric rollout is about futureproofing our network and will pave the way for exciting customer-led innovations that lie ahead." The upgrades are part of Virgin Media…...

3+ week, 2+ day ago (140+ words) It was a busy Bonfire Night for fire crews in Norfolk. Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service attended 16 incidents between 5pm on Wednesday and 3am on Thursday when Guy Fawkes' Night celebrations were under way across the county. In total, 10 of these were described as "fires in the open", and another one was described as a "grass fire". The fires in the open were located in Walton Highway, Hemsby, Thetford, Hethersett, Gorleston, Sutton, Winterton-on-Sea, Costessey, King's Lynn and West Walton, while the grass fire was in Costessey. The fire service previously urged people to be careful while they were out and lighting bonfires, fireworks and sparklers. "Bonfire Night is one of the busiest nights of the year for our firefighter crews - and we're advising going out to local displays as the safest way to enjoy the night."...

3+ day, 13+ hour ago (776+ words) A Norfolk farming couple have fought off payment demands and a court threat after being targeted by scammers in a "distressing" identity fraud. Stephen and Catherine Temple have spent decades building the reputation of their cheese-making dairy at Wighton, near Wells. But now the business has been impersonated by criminal gangs seeking to steal goods ordered in their name. The National Food Crime Unit has warned of an increase in this type of fraud, as scammers take advantage of credit terms to give them time to make off with goods including cheese, vegetables, poultry, fish and meat. The fraudsters pose as legitimate buyers, so they pretend to be small farms or businesses. The Temples have fended off dozens of calls from suppliers relating to faked orders of products including fish, cheese and vegetables, and the fraudsters have also applied for…...

1+ week, 5+ day ago (189+ words) A Norfolk charity has broken its own records by supporting 4,645 clients across the county in a single year. Norfolk Community Law Service (NCLS) provided free legal advice on nearly 5,000 matters, including debt, welfare rights, immigration and domestic abuse. The charity's latest impact report revealed a 42pc increase in client numbers since 2021/22. It also helped secure "2.4m in welfare benefits and saw "1.4m of debt written off. David Powles, chief executive of NCLS, said: "Demand for our services has never been higher, and our dedicated team continues to rise to the challenge. "We change lives by giving people a voice, helping them stay in their homes, keep their jobs and live free from fear." The charity supported 331 family court hearings " a 42pc rise since 2023/24 " and reported a 28pc improvement in client wellbeing following advice sessions. Volunteer contributions were valued at more than "338,000 in social value. One…...

3+ week, 5+ day ago (292+ words) Professor Green - who is best known for hits such as Read All About It and I Need You Tonight - took to Instagram to gush about his love of the county after his latest stay. The 41-year-old explained that they had stayed at The Maltings in Weybourne and enjoyed "lovely, lovely dinners" at the on-site restaurant, The Grain Store, which was added to the esteemed Good Food Guide this summer. They also tucked into an "indulgent lunch at one of the best pubs in the UK (with arguably the best art collection of any pub)", The Gunton Arms. Between meals, his party "climbed trees in Sheringham Park and threw stones in the sea back in Weybourne". He added that he "can't wait to get to experience more of Norfolk" and urged his fellow Londoners to visit. "We did Holkham this summer…...

5+ day, 9+ hour ago (168+ words) Marks & Spencer is looking to open five near food stores at locations across Norfolk. The supermarket giant has announced mass expansion plans for 500 new food stores across the country. The retailer is currently scouting out locations for the new shops, with five potential Norfolk locations earmarked. M&S is searching for sites in 500 potential locations to bring its tried and tested format for stores to modernise in existing markets and bring Food stores to new areas. The locations that M&S are looking at in Norfolk are Great Yarmouth, Diss, Holt/Cromer, north Norwich and Wymondham/Cringleford. Alex Freudmann managing director at M&S Food, said: "The strong performance of our new M&S food stores gives us the confidence to explore even more locations across the UK. "Our team want new sites where we could open a large M…...