A Norfolk man who has been volunteering on the county's railways since he was eight, has been hired full-time by a heritage line.

Wymondham & Attleborough Mercury: A train on the Mid Norfolk Railway.A train on the Mid Norfolk Railway. (Image: Archant)

Mid-Norfolk Railway (MNR), which runs between Dereham and Wymondham Abbey, has appointed Mark Sexton as its first traction and rolling stock manager.

Mr Sexton will be in charge of the maintenance and safety of all rolling stock.

He will work with the railway’s experienced volunteers and staff to carry out the work required.

Charlie Robinson, chairman of the MNR Preservation Trust, which owns and runs the railway, said: “We are delighted to welcome Mark to the railway as a full-time staff member.

"His appointment is another step forward in the development of the railway.”

Mr Sexton had been working and volunteering at the North Norfolk Railway (NNR) for decades.

He was one of the NNR founder members and worked his way up to becoming a trainee diesel fitter in 2012 and running and maintenance foreman in 2015.

He said: “Railway engineering has been ingrained in me. Both of my grandfathers worked at the Ashford Railway works in Kent."