A new café and eatery set up by a Norwich taxi firm could be open before summer, as work gets under way.

In December, Courtesy Taxis submitted a premises licence to Norwich City Council to set up the restaurant area at 77 Prince of Wales Road, which is underneath its 50-seat waiting area.

It was approved in February, and with initial works having now started, Mark Streeter, the firm's managing director, said it could be open in as little as eight weeks time.

The area will be open to taxi drivers, members of the public and nearby workers during the day, when it will serve hot drinks and light bites such as sausage rolls and toasted sandwiches, while in the evening it is likely to cater for those enjoying a night out, when its menu will change to hot meals such as pizza and chicken.

Meals and non-alcoholic drinks will be available to eat in or take away.

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Courtesy is thought to be the first taxi firm in the country to launch its own eating area.

Mr Streeter said 'anybody and everybody is welcome', and said its opening would see the firm provide an 'all in one' safe space for diners waiting for a taxi after a night out.

He said: 'Having been a taxi driver for 15 years I've experienced first hand people getting slung out at the end of the night and having nowhere to go.

'That's why we created our safe environment waiting area, and we'll be extending that into [the restaurant].

'People can wait for their taxi in a safe environment, and get something to eat in a safe environment too.'

There will be CCTV in the restaurant, as well as door staff.

With planning permission and a premises licence now in place, he said they had the green light to go ahead, but with more works to complete and some furniture and fittings to buy, it would be a few weeks until opening.

In 2013, the business in welcomed camera crews for a fly-on-the-wall documentary showcasing the demands of running a taxi firm.