An established Dereham electrical retailer which shares its name with the Norwich-based Bennetts chain has sought to reassure its customers that it is not affected by its rival's problems.

The family which runs Dereham Bennetts Ltd, on Norwich Street, said news that its namesake had gone into administration was mistakenly greeted with alarm by some of its customers.

The company was originally established in Fakenham in 1922 and now employs nine people at its shops in Dereham and Reepham.

Managing director Philip Morter, who runs the shop with his wife Jennifer, said: 'We have had customers ringing up, quite touchingly, to make sure that individuals here still have their jobs. We are very appreciative of their concern but we are still doing business and looking after our customers, and our staff are quite safe.

'Obviously we feel sorry for the staff elsewhere but I can assure everyone we are quite safe and continuing to trade.

'We deal with a lot of the same suppliers as the other Bennetts, so if people have guarantee problems we may be able to help put them in touch with the right people, although we cannot take on another company's liabilities.'