People will soon be rolling up to Dereham as the town hosts its first post-lockdown circus.

Uncle Sam’s Great American Circus will be based at Dereham Park, off London Road, from Wednesday, September 23 to Sunday, September 27.

Paul Sandford, landlord of Dereham’s Railway Tavern, who has organised the visit, said he was thrilled the circus was coming to the town.

Mr Sandford said the event was a great way to spread some post-lockdown cheer amid the cancellation of many other events.

He said: “This will give people a bit of cheer after everything that we’ve been through this year. It will certainly be something good for families to look forward to.

“So many things have been written off this year but with the right structures in place it can still work in a Covid-secure way.

“This circus travels all around the country and this will be one of the last places they’re coming to this year, so it will be nice to have it in Dereham.”

Clowns, jugglers, acrobats, air walkers and fire breathers are all part of the cast of the circus, which does not have performing animals.

Another highlight are the show’s ‘Thunderball’ motorcycle riders who do death-defying loop-the-loops in a giant steel cage.

The circus operates with a one-way system for audience members, deep cleaning and socially distanced seating in the big top, which in ordinary times has the capacity to seat around 900 people.

A spokesman from the show said: “We are very pleased that the councils of the towns we visit are extremely happy with the safety and hygiene methods we have in place to ensure the safety of our audiences.

“We would like to thank everyone who has supported us during these uncertain times and we are all thrilled we can continue to entertain you all.”

Performance times are: September 23 to 25 at 5pm and 7.30pm; September 26 at 2.30pm and 6pm and September 27 at 1.30pm and 4.30pm. Face masks are mandatory when watching the show.

Tickets can be bought from the box office on site from 9.30am to 8pm, call 07423 131085 for more.