A campaign by a regional daily to save a carnival from the axe after more than 50 years has achieved success just 12 hours after its launch.

The Eastern Daily Press made a rallying call last Tuesday for volunteers for the annual Sheringham Carnival, which takes place each August.

The event had been in danger of being scrapped, with the paper’s campaign being launched in a special North Norfolk edition on the day of a make-or-break meeting to find volunteers.

And 12 hours after the Archant title hit the newsstands, more than 50 people turned out for the meeting and key roles on the committee were filled, with the paper then being thanked by carnival chairman Stuart McClean.

Editor Nigel Pickover said: “The idea came from Steve Downes, from our Cromer office, who lives and breathes the North Norfolk coast and its communities.

“Our newspaper prides itself on being at the heart of the communities that it serves. And town carnivals are among the events that are the lifeblood of those communities.

“We are delighted to have played a part in ensuring that the people of Sheringham will be able to continue to enjoy their carnival for the foreseeable future. And we look forward, as ever, to giving it the comprehensive coverage in our daily and weekly print and online titles that it deserves.”

The EDP’s campaign was launched with photos from previous carnivals and a leader article, with residents being challenged to get behind the event, which attracts more than 30,000 people to Sheringham for one week every August.