Sheringham sinkhole becomes 'tourist attraction'

A sinkhole that has been in the high street of a seaside town for more than a month has become a "tourist attraction".

The 2m-wide (7ft) hole appeared at about 13:00 BST on 25 May in Sheringham, Norfolk.

Anglian Water said a sewer pipe was "significantly damaged" and it was working "as fast as possible" to fix the pipe and repair the hole.

Town councillor Liz Withington said the sinkhole had "put the town on the map".

She said "people from all over the country" were coming to see what had happened.

Anglian Water said it needed to "assess the full extent of the damage and plan the necessary repair, to give a more accurate idea of timescales".

The water company has said a loss adjuster would be looking at ways of supporting local businesses which wished to make insurance claims.

Sheringham Town Council and North Norfolk District Council said that local events such as the carnival and the Potty Festival, which sees Morris dancers descend on the town, would still go ahead.

Ms Withington said an "incredible amount of work had gone on" to prepare the town's events.

Terry Butler from Crofters restaurant said it was a "tough time" while the road was fully closed and had it gone on longer he "would have had to look at closure".

He praised Anglian Water and said it had been "very good, understanding and helpful".

He also thanked "the whole of Sheringham and the community for their support," once the road partially re-opened.