An emergency closure has shut part of the popular Norfolk Coast Path because of health and safety fears.

Just over a mile of the footpath at Brancaster has had to be shut, between Harbour Way and Butchers Drove, because the boardwalk has deteriorated so badly.

Officers at Norfolk County Council said repair work is planned, but that Natural England has to give the go-ahead for it to be done because the path is in a protected area.

The issue was raised at a meeting of the council's infrastructure and development select committee on Wednesday (November 16).

Matt Hayward, lead projects manager at Norfolk County Council, said: "We are working with Natural England, but we cannot just go and put a new boardwalk in.

"We need to get all the consents. We have a project to replace it, but we had to close it for health and safety reasons. We try to keep closures to a minimum."

A diversion is in place during the closure.