Junior super-sleuths donned Sherlock Holmes capes and deerstalker hats for an Easter treasure hunt around Norwich's Dragon Hall.

Children visiting the historic building on King Street were given a detective kit, including a torch and a magnifying glass, to follow clues around the ancient rooms and the gloomy cellar.

Those who managed to crack the code of the mysterious giant eggs were given a chocolate treat for Easter.

While the fun event was aimed at boosting the youngsters' skills at deduction, their investigations were also designed to bring education and family-bonding benefits.

Sarah Power, learning and volunteer manager at the hall, said: 'We have always had a museum trail, but this year we decided to do something different, making it really interactive and bringing history to life. I am really keen for children to find things out for themselves, to explore and to come up with their own conclusions. That's where the idea of being a history detective came from.

'In each room it is about looking at the objects and the architecture, and we are getting the children to use their own skills to find out more about the building, and they seem to really enjoy that.

'Their parents have to be their sergeants, which is a way of creating that dialogue between families. And it means the children get to boss their parents around. I was watching two little girls and they were shouting: 'Get the magnifying glass out, sergeant!' They all seem to be having a lovely time. It is that all-inclusive family situation we are aiming for.'

The detective trail at Dragon Hall runs throughout the year, but the Easter-themed investigations run until April 15 during the hall's opening hours, which are 10am-4pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, and midday-4pm on Sundays.