Helping people forced to choose between heating and eating will be the focus of a 'cost-of-living summit' to be held in north Norfolk.

Liberal Democrat North Norfolk district councillor Lucy Shires put forward the idea as part of a motion to fellow councillors at Wednesday's full council meeting.

Ms Shires said the summit would bring together groups that could address the soaring cost of living.

Ms Shires said: "As we look into our communities we can see people are growing anxious as to how they are actually going to survive the winter.

"This week I had to help somebody who was concerned about whether to buy enough food for the week, or to put enough electric on their meter."

Ms Shires said the summit would bring together "everybody who has the power, the knowledge and understanding of communities and services so we can look at, collectively, how to solve problems".

"We're not superheroes, we don't wear capes," she said. "There are many people and organisations out there who can help communities and we are stronger doing that together."

But Christopher Cushing, leader of the council's Conservatives, said that while his group agreed with most of the motion, they disagreed with a suggestion of asking the government to reduce VAT to 17.5pc.

Mr Cushing said this meant Tory councillors could not back the motion, even though council chairman Pauline Grove-Jones said the VAT cut proposal was not an element that was being voted on.

Mr Cushing said: "The government has made it very clear how seriously it takes the cost-of-living crisis.

"The government's energy price guarantee will cut everyone's bills by £1,400 a year to protect the British people, and by reducing inflation. That is probably going to cost in the region of £150 billion a year."

Mr Cushing said reducing VAT would cost "tens of billions" more annually.

He said: "The British people are aware there is no magic money tree. The VAT thing is probably a bit of a showstopper for us which we regret."

The motion was agreed with 21 votes in favour and nine abstentions.