Emergency services were put on alert today following reports of a helicopter with engine failure at Norwich International Airport.

A spokesman in the Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service said a 'significant number of resources' were mobiilised after they receved a report of a helicopter in trouble at just after 11.40am.

But the helicopter landed safely at the Hellesdon-based airport and no action was taken by the fire brigade.

A spokesman said: 'It sounds a lot more dramatic than it was. We got a warning and sent resources accordingly. But as it was it was nothing at all.'

An East of England Ambulance Service Trust (EEAST) spokesman confirmed they were also 'put on alert' following reports of a helicopter in trouble.

He said: 'We were called at 11.48am and dispatched an ambulance and a land crew from the East Anglian Air Ambulance who were on scene for a number of miniutes. It landed safely and we were sent away. It lasted about 10 minutes.'

No-one from the airport was available for comment.

Last month four air crew were killed in a helicopter crash at Cley on the north Norfolk coast.

Captains Christopher S Stover, 28, and Sean M Ruane, 31, Technical Support Sergeant Dale E Mathews, 37, and Staff Sergeant Afton M Ponce, 28, died after the Pave Hawk helicopter they were flying crashed into Cley Marshes at around 7pm on Tuesday, January 7.

The crew, from the 56th Rescue Squadron, were described as 'great airmen who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect the lives of others' by Col Kyle Robinson, base commander at RAF Lakenheath.