Shrugging off the rumours of his death, one of Norfolk's much loved buskers has been showing off his performance skills today, using his 'new lease of life' to prove that he is very much alive.

Rumours of his death escalated over the internet last night but the puppet man of Norwich and Great Yarmouth, David Perry, was all too happy to show he is fighting fit by performing for the Eastern Daily Press.

'I was phoned up five times last night,' the 67-year-old said.

'They asked me if I was dead and I said well I'm still talking aren't I? I'm still here.'

The rumour is believed to have begun on a social networking site, after Twitter users traced the source of the rumour to a single individual on Facebook.

His wikipedia entry was also tampered with, which was then publicised on Twitter and Facebook.

The rumour said that Mr Perry had passed away in Great Yarmouth yesterday after suffering from a heart attack.

But he was back in Norwich today continuing to perform with his puppet Mick Jagger, at one of his favourite hot spots on Gentleman's Walk in the city centre.

He said: 'I feel like I am back with new skills and a new lease of life.'

As well as performing in Norwich city centre, he also performs in Great Yarmouth, usually outside McDonald's Restaurant on Regent Boulevard.

Thousands of people around the world have watched his act on the internet, which he started performing in the mid-1980s.

• Why not add your own puppet man tribute act video to our website below?