Eric Pickles shown students are key to borough's future

Eric Pickles meets students from Great Yarmouth College on a construction site in Caister.

Eric Pickles met the students who will help Great Yarmouth thrive in the future during a visit to Great Yarmouth today.

The communities secretary was in Caister looking at the first council houses to be built in the borough for 20 years.

There he met Derice Hamblin and Harry Hunter, two students training at Great Yarmouth College, who are getting hands on experience on the construction site.

Derice, who's 18, said: "It's going to be my livelihood so I'm quite positive about working here and working on future projects as well."

Yarmouth Borough Council is investing £1.3 million in 12 new council houses at three different sites.

It's part of a 30-year plan for the local authority and will see money given to the council via the Right to Buy policy used to fund the homes.

Today Mr Pickles insisted that Conservative policy had not led to a shortage of affordable homes.

He said: "It didn't in any way reduce the number of houses because people continued to live in them."

Following his visit to Caister, the secretary of state went on to visit a beauty salon and hairdressing academy in nearby Gorleston where more trainees are being nurtured into the workers of the future.

Eric Pickles arrives at a beauty salon in Gorleston. Credit: ITV News Anglia.