Norwich scientists who worked tirelessly to track and hunt new variants of Covid-19 have been praised by the former health secretary.

Scientists at the Quadrum Institute, based in the Norwich Research Park, have received an award from the University of East Anglia for their work sequencing the virus, which began in March 2020.

And the award has seen project leader Rob Kingsley and his team singled out for praise by former health secretary Matt Hancock.

Sharing the news of the award on Twitter, Mr Hancock wrote: "Congratulations to Professor Robert Kingsley and the incredible group of scientists who played a leading role in tackling the spread of Covid-19. Thank you for all your hard work."

Prof Kingsley said: "It is great to be recognised for making a positive impact on people's lives through our science.

"A truly world-leading part of the UK response to Covid-19 was tracking the virus spread and evolution using genome sequencing. A group of scientists from the UEA, Quadrum and the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital all played a critical role in this effort."