Pedalling paramedics will be rolling into north and west Norfolk over the summer in a bid to get to life-threatening emergencies quicker.

Cycling responders from the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) will be covering Cromer and Hunstanton on a trial basis throughout July and August, to help deal with 999 calls.

A responder will work in Cromer seven days a week, while another will cover Hunstanton on Sunday's.

Darren Rutterford, co-ordinator of EEAST's cycle response unit, said: 'This is a really exciting trial for us with our cyclists able to deal with a lot of incidents because they carry so much equipment.

'Only half of 999 callers actually need hospital treatment, which means that other resources we have are used more appropriately so that we get effective treatment to patients faster.'

Throughout May the unit attended more than 300 incidents in Norfolk. The cyclists have an average response time of just two minutes and the bikes weigh around 45kg.