A "monumental bidding battle" at Norwich Livestock Market saw £6,700 paid for a pedigree Limousin bull - the auction's best price ever.

The impressive two-year-old animal, named Withersdale Pinocchio, smashed the previous record of £4,200 at the fortnightly sale on Hall Road.

The new owner is Will Hemmant of Woodhouse Farms at Sisland, near Loddon, who paid the top price at his first visit to the market.

He said the bull will help to expand a cattle herd including 60 breeding animals.

"I am very happy with him," he said. "He has got all the right qualities and he has been tried and tested.

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"He is a seriously good quality bull and I really liked his temperament too.

"I went and looked at him on the Friday [before the sale on Saturday] and the price was not on my mind, but it is a market - there were two bidders, so you either want it or you don't.

"I didn't expect to pay that much, but at the end of the day he should be an asset to the farm."

Market chairman Stephen Lutkin said: "The sale created a bit of a buzz. It is good for the market and good for the seller. It is really pleasing that little old Norwich is seeing prices like this.

"It shows you don't need to go to Carlisle to sell quality bulls, as we have the buyers here and quality animals will make this kind of money in the county."

The bull was bred and sold by Derek and Sandra Wharton of Withersdale Street, Mendham, near Harleston.

Mr Wharton said: "It is very nice to receive that sort of price. You get enough bad luck in farming, so you need something decent sometimes.

"He is just the right shape and it is all in the breeding to make that sort of price.

"It can only be good for Norwich market, and encourage other people to come."

The family's best-ever price for one of their home-bred bulls came in 2013, when their Royal Norfolk Show champion sold for 17,000 guineas (£17,850) at a British Limousin Cattle Society sale in Carlisle.