The UK's strongest man will be showing off his power in a visit to Norfolk next week.

Laurence Shahlaei will be at energy conference SNS2018 as part of Great Yarmouth company Gee-Force Hydraulics stand.

The company was bought earlier this month by industry heavyweight HTL Group and enjoyed its busiest ever year in 2017.

Graeme Cook, Gee-Force Hydraulics managing director, said: "Laurence brings fun and fascination to the SNS exhibition. He wins his titles by pulling cars and carrying boulders so he's always a real crowd puller."

Being part of a larger group means Gee-Force, which sells and hires out hydraulic, pneumatic, electronic and manual bolting equipment, now supplies a larger range of products and the Beacon Park-based company has seen an uplift in work of late amid increasing confidence in the offshore energy sector.

Mr Cook said: "Hire has been incredibly busy this year. Our work has been with existing clients, who are getting busier offshore."

Northumberland-based HTL had been in partnership with Gee-Force before buying the Gorleston firm for an undisclosed sum last Friday.

Organised by the East of England Energy Group (EEEGR) SNS2018 is the region's largest energy conference and brings together experts and business leaders from all sectors of the industry.

This year it will be held at the Norfolk Showground on the outskirts of Norwich on Wednesday, February 28 and Thursday, March 1.

The 2018 edition will hear from sector experts from companies and organisations including Shell, EDF Energy, Siemens, UK Power Networks, Engie, James Fisher & Sons and Oil & Gas UK.

As well as a series of talks and panels there will also be an exhibition with companies from across the region and the world present.

Mr Shahlaei, known as Loz, was also Europe's Strongest Man 2016, twice Britain's Strongest Man, is a nine-times World Strongest Man competitor and Guinness World Record Holder.

The 6ft 2ins strongman, who has been working with Gee-Force for four years, can bench press 200kg, dead life 380kg and squat 365kg.