Our ties with the United States are long and deep.

But our relationship with our transatlantic friends was no more important than in the last century when British freedom was under threat during the Second World War.

This region hosted many US servicemen on the air bases where sorties which played an integral part in cementing an allied victory began.

Decades on, there is still a huge interest both from people living in East Anglia, and its tourists, for war times stories to be retold.

We hope that the new HBO series Masters of the Air will continue to whet the appetite of history enthusiasts both on this and the other side of the Atlantic.

Films - whether fiction or non-fiction - can provide a huge boost to tourism. There are high hopes that East Anglia may benefit from the focus on the 100th Bomb Group, which was based at RAF Thorpe Abbotts, in this new series.

Tourism bosses already have US visitors in their sights after securing a £240,000 grant to launch its Friendly Invasion campaign - an invasion we wholeheartedly welcome.

Tourism is a really important part of our economy and we need to continue to grow and nurture it.

Our rich wartime heritage may be the initial draw for some US visitors, but they will soon discover the charm of our wide skies and stunning landscape too, and that can only be a good thing.

The EDP says: Don't let up in the fight against the drug dealers

Reports of drug gangs hitting our streets from London and Hertfordshire were deeply concerning.

Spikes in violent crime were particularly unsettling for a county which has enjoyed one of the lowest crime levels in the UK.

Norfolk police should be applauded for the vigilance and determination with which they have confronted the threat through Operation Gravity. It is no mean feat to track down and arrest more than 100 possible drug dealers.Of course, we cannot rest on our laurels and there is more to do. But it appears that the police war on heroin and cocaine dealing is preventing the flow from the capital. This should send a strong message that violent crime and drug dealing will not be tolerated in our region.

This important operation will not just help keep our streets peaceful, but will no doubt have saved lives from being ruined too.