A Norfolk market town will be full of the sights and sounds of the Punjab at the weekend when the annual Anglo Sikh Heritage Week gets underway.

A Norfolk market town will be full of the sights and sounds of the Punjab at the weekend when the annual Anglo Sikh Heritage Week gets underway.

A Bhangra dance group from Gravesend will be parading through Thetford town centre on Saturday for the “Heart-'Beat' of Punjab” event, which will culminate with a performance of Punjabi music and folk dance in King's House Gardens. The free event, which is supported by the town council and Breckland Council, starts at midday.

The celebrations come as part of the area's contribution to the Anglo Sikh Heritage Trail. Britain's first Sikh settler - Maharajah Duleep Singh - is buried at Elveden and a statue of him was unveiled at Butten Island in Thetford in 1999. His son Frederick also donated the Tudor Ancient House to the town as a museum.

Thetford library will also be exhibiting the Prince Frederick Duleep Singh collection on Saturday between 11am and 4pm and Ancient House Museum will be holding a Sikh celebration day between 10am and 5pm.

Steve Askew, Breckland Council's executive member for culture, said: “We are very happy so support any event that helps bring

history and cultures together and Thetford has a strong Anglo-Sikh heritage. The free “Heart-'Beat' of Punjab” event looks like it'll be a lot of fun and I'd encourage local residents to go and see for themselves.”