The Cathedral of St John the Baptist in Norwich was turned from pitch black to a mass of blazing light during an Easter Vigil.

On Saturday night, an Easter candle was lit from a brazier fire outside the west door and processed into the cathedral.

Inside, it was used to light candles from each of the hundreds of people present at the first Mass of Easter.

In his homily, the Bishop of East Anglia, the Rt Rev Alan Hopes, said: 'Our Easter vigil began tonight in darkness, just like the darkness of the tomb in which the body of Jesus had been buried.

'The Easter candle, the symbol of the risen Christ, was lit and then we all lit our candles from the Easter candle until this cathedral was ablaze with lights.

'It is as if into the darkness of our world and lives steps the risen Christ and shares his light. It was as if God has said again, like at the beginning of creation: 'Let there be light' and there is light.'