A chilling photograph has emerged of a toddler being carried on thin ice at one of the county's best known beauty spots.

The picture was taken at Whitlingham Broad yesterday as temperatures plummeted.

And it has prompted a warning from HM Coastguard Happisburgh & Mundesley, who described it as 'crazy'.

It pointed out the conditions created by the current cold snap are particularly deceiving around the Broads area and Gravel pits.

In a statement the Coastguard service said: 'This comes each year, however this year the ice is looking thicker than usual. This is not the case and the ice is still very thin and will not support weight.

'We have seen people attempting to walk on the ice already, especially children. Please do not do this as there is a serious risk of falling through.

'If you see somoene that gets into difficulties immediately phone 999 and ask for the Coastguard..... DO NOT attempt to rescue them yourself by going onto the ice.'

The warning followed mammoth concerns over fossil hunters climbing crumbling cliffs along the coast.

Across the region on Saturday evening, temperatures plummeted below zero to give way to what forecasters say was the coldest night in four years.

Sub-zero conditions swept the region last night, with temperatures in Marham, west Norfolk dropping to -6.3C, according to Dan Holley, a Meteorologist from Weatherquest in Norwich.

The last time temperatures had been that low in the area was back in January 2015.

Similar frosty figures were also reported at Tibenham and Cromer, where temperatures fell to -5.0C and -2.3C respectively, making it the coldest night for Cromer in almost four years.

The lowest temperature recorded across the whole of East Anglia on Saturday was in Writtle, Essex where lows of -8.0C were experienced.

Weatherquest's forecast for Norfolk this evening predicts that it will continue to be dry and cold, with minimum temperatures being expected to reach -4.0C. A Yellow Weather warning for fog has also been issued by The Met Office for the East of England.