From crochet to cross stitching, a new shop in Cromer selling a range of craft kits from independent businesses has attracted many customers.

Erica Appleton, 44, has opened Craft Room in 32 Garden Street, which is the former home of Cromer Car Parts which was there for 27 years.

It offers kits with everything you need to try a range of crafts and six of her suppliers are Norfolk-based, which are Miss Ella, The Handmade Florist, Pixels and Purls, Emily Longhurst, Kave Woodcraft and Jo Rolfe.

This is combined with kits from other small, independent businesses further afield and the crafts covered are crotchet, knitting, embroidery, macramé, origami, sewing, painting, needle felting, punch needle, weaving, mosaics and cross stitch.

Miss Appleton, who lives in Sprowston, is a handbag maker herself with her own brand Duck and Dart.

She also runs Gallery 10 in Alby Crafts and Gardens, off the A140, where she stocks products from 50 local artists and craftspeople.

Miss Appleton said: "A few of my makers at Gallery 10 were making craft kits and I noticed in lockdown a massive increase in people getting into crafting as something therapeutic to do.

"I then had an idea to do a shop selling just craft kits and I also thought it would be good in Cromer for people on holiday as a project."

Craft Room opened at the beginning of April and she seems to have found a real gap in the market.

Miss Appleton and her team have been trying out all the kits between them so they can share their knowledge with customers, with something for all ages and abilities for sale.

She added: "The reaction has been so positive and it has blown me away.

"When you open something new you are not quite sure what the response is going to be, but we have had so many people come in and have repeat customers already.

"A lot of people visiting Cromer say it is changing and it is exciting to see as it is sad when seaside towns have empty shops."

Craft Room is open Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm and 10am to 4.30pm on Sundays.