Storms hit lighthouse paintwork

Workmen had finished the red paint just before the storms hit the region

Work to spruce up a Norfolk lighthouse has suffered a setback after overnight storms turned the building pink.

Preparation work to give Happisburgh Lighthouse a new lick of paint began earlier this month.

The only independent lighthouse in the UK was last repainted in 1998, and a masonry paint manufacturer had donated the materials for the repainting.

But after storms hit the region, the red paint mixed into the white below creating a new, pink effect.

Workmen had just finished painting the red when the rains started and they will now need to repaint the white with extra coats.

The painting work was due to be completed in July and the lighthouse will be open to the public from Sunday 26 July and every Sunday throughout August.

The lighthouse is an important navigation aid which, despite the advance of modern satellite technology, is still valued by sailors passing along the Norfolk coast.