A handful of determined shoppers made an early return to the High Street, as Norfolk emerged from the national coronavirus lockdown.

Non-essential shops are allowed to open their doors again as the national lockdown, imposed on November 5, came to an end and Tier 2 restrictions began.

The Primark store in Haymarket decided to open its doors at 7am today (Wednesday, December 2), perhaps in anticipation of the long queues which snaked up to The Forum when it reopened after the original lockdown in June and in November, as the second lockdown loomed.

But there were only half a dozen shoppers queuing outside the brightly-lit store as the minutes counted down to 7am - with as many Primark staff checking their watches to open the door as there were customers.

Elsewhere, in the chilly city centre, with other shops not due to open until later, city council workers emptied bins and swept the streets.

But there were more joggers than shoppers at that early hour.

Shops and businesses, which have taken huge financial hits because of the Covid-19 pandemic will be hoping that Christmas shopping over the next few weeks will bring them a vital boost in what has been a very difficult year.