More than 100 applications have been received in the UK’s 33rd round of offshore oil and gas licensing - which includes dozens of potential sites off the Norfolk coast.

Seventy-six companies have made 115 bids to explore and develop sites, according to the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA), which opened the bidding in October last year.

The NSTA says the bids will now be studied and those that go ahead could begin production in as little as 18 months.

Business bosses in Norfolk have hailed the potential economic boost for county industries in the energy sector, such as for companies in Great Yarmouth.

But campaigners, including Greenpeace, are taking the government to court over the licensing round, claiming it is unlawful.

Dr Nick Richardson, the NSTA’s head of exploration, said: "We have seen a strong response from industry to the (licensing) round, which has exceeded application levels compared to previous rounds.

"We will now be working hard to analyse the applications with a view to awarding the first licences from the second quarter of 2023."