Norwich has a reputation for being a safe and friendly place to live.

The Fine City was, in fact, named the second safest place in the country for a night out just last month, behind Plymouth.

So it is natural that yesterday morning's crime spree has shocked us all.

The offences included a rape, two robberies and an assault, all of which occurred within a few hours, in different parts of the city centre.

Such a concentration of serious crimes in a short space of time is thankfully a rare occurrence, and something nobody wants to see repeated.

We hope that everyone affected by the crimes is now safe.

We also wish the police the very best with their investigations, and hope that those responsible for the crimes are swiftly brought to justice.