A husband and wife who collect amber had a surprise when they discovered more than 700g of it on Cromer beach.

Irene and John Nockels found the orange nugget of fossilised tree resin on Saturday, April 6.

It is believed to be worth more than £500 and a former curator of the Cromer Museum, Martin Warren, said it could be one of the largest pieces of amber found on the east coast.

Mrs Nockels, from Norwich Road, Cromer, said: 'I have looked for amber on Cromer beach for years and I just jumped when I saw it. I thought it couldn't be right because we have never seen anything that size before.

'It is exciting finding something millions of years old. I couldn't sleep that night because I was so excited. We are not going to sell it.'

She has been collecting amber and other fossils on Cromer beach and surrounding north Norfolk beaches in Overstrand and East Runton for the past 30 years.

She found a piece of the fossilised tree resin in a similar spot near Cromer Pier in February last year but that was a fifth of the size.

Mr and Mrs Nockels used to run the Cromer antiques shop Collectors World. She now works as an antiques dealer and owns hundreds of pieces of amber and fossils.

Martin Warren, former curator of Cromer Museum, said: 'About 700g of amber is a big piece, full stop. It is certainly the biggest piece found in Cromer.'