Cromer Town Council has recently announced that it will be paying all of their employees the National Living Wage.

The move was initiated by councillor Phil Harris, who wanted the council to 'set an example' to other businesses operating in North Norfolk.

The adoption of the £8.45 an hour wage makes the town council one of the few outside London who have taken up the policy.

Mr Harris, 63, said: 'I'm very, very pleased that the council chose to support the motion of becoming a living wage employer.

'We feel that people who are paid what they deserve will do a better job, and we're hoping that if people are paid more they'll reinvest it back into the local economy.'

'We have a lot of people here on lower incomes because jobs can be more temporary, but hopefully if they have a higher wage they'll spend what they make more locally.'

The council will also be adopting the Living Wage Grant Scheme come March next year, meaning that businesses applying for a contract with the town council will be questioned as to whether they are paying their employees the living wage.

Mr Harris, a Cromer resident, continued: 'We want to influence as many people as we have contact with to do the same as us and adopt the living wage as the rate they pay their employees.'

He added; 'We don't want people just saying 'We'll pay someone £5 just to do a little job'. Organisations need to know the real cost of the work they are employing people to do, and we will help businesses if they find it too difficult to do that.'

The idea began when Cromer Community Centre took on another member of staff.

Mr Harris, who is the chairman of the Community Centre, said: 'It seemed the perfect time to start the idea going. We have two part-time staff and we're actually paying them the London living wage and not the National.'

To find out more about the Cromer Town Council, visit their website at www.cromer-tc.gov.uk.