More than £31,000 has been donated to a Norwich homeless charity to help fund its hostel extension.

St Martins Housing Trust is aiming to raise £180,000 to pay for three new bedrooms and a 'sit up' service at its Bishopbridge hostel in Norwich.

The 'sit up' service will allow people to come into the hostel, store their items, have a shower and wait to be seen by staff in the morning.

Building work on the extension is already complete and it is expected to open next weekend.

But the charity still needs to raise a further £65,000 to pay for it.

Earlier today, its general manager, Derek Player, was presented with three cheques from a charity, a church and the bishop of Norwich.

Mr Player said the extension was needed as there had been a 'steady increase' in the number of homeless people requiring help in the city.

A cheque for £29,772.42 was presented to the charity by the bishop of Norwich, The Rt Rev Graham James.

It also received cheques for £1,004 from Old Buckenham 2000 Trust and £477 from the All Saints Church in Old Buckenham.