People hoping to explore their family tree will have less time to do so after County Hall agreed to cut the time people can access records in Norfolk's archives.

Norfolk Record Office (NRO) opening hours have been changed by Norfolk County Council as part of a raft of new money-saving measures to plug a £60m gap in its finances.

A booking system will also be introduced in a bid to save £57,000 in costs.

Previously, people could visit the NRO, based in County Hall, between 9.30am to 5pm Tuesday to Thursday, while Friday has reduced hours from 10am to 4pm.

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The Norfolk Record Office at County HallThe Norfolk Record Office at County Hall (Image: Antony Kelly)

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Under the changes, Thursdays now have the same reduced hours as Fridays and people will have to request documents in advance before visiting.

The NRO is where people can investigate the 10 million records held, ranging from medieval documents to parish registers.

The move follows a consultation, which received strong criticism from some who worried about the knock-on effect of losing expert staff.

Cabinet members voted to approve the reduced opening hours.