Six bouncing baby lambs have been born in Norfolk from a Swiss mountain breed hailed as "the world's cutest sheep".

Although the Valais Blacknose breed originates in the Alps, the new arrivals seem happily at home in the somewhat flatter landscapes of north Norfolk.

These friendly and inquisitive animals, with their shaggy mop of wool, curly fringes, black noses and matching black "knee-pads", are much adored for their temperament and their appearance.

And it was this "cute factor" which prompted their owners to venture into the world of livestock.

Vanessa Paige, left, and Amanda Yacoubian, with their four-day-old Valais Blacknose lambsVanessa Paige, left, and Amanda Yacoubian, with their four-day-old Valais Blacknose lambs (Image: Denise Bradley) Amanda Yacoubian and Vanessa Paige met at a Valais Blacknose training day in Diss in 2019 - after both women had seen the animals on the BBC TV programme This Farming Life.

Coincidentally, they only lived a few miles away from each other - at Edgefield, near Holt, and Wighton near Wells, respectively - so they decided to work together, sharing a ram to build their hobby flocks.

The friends now have 18 animals between them, including three lambs each which arrived within 48 hours of each other last weekend.

"They are quite popular over here now because they are so friendly - and they are ridiculously cute," said Ms Yacoubian.

"I have always wanted to have some kind of animal. I have never had sheep before but I saw those and I thought: 'Right, that is what I want to get'."

Four-day-old Valais Blacknose lambs Lydia, Lola and Lilibet at Wighton near WellsFour-day-old Valais Blacknose lambs Lydia, Lola and Lilibet at Wighton near Wells (Image: Denise Bradley) Miss Paige added: "They are really cute and easy to look after. I am not from a farming background, but I have had horses all my life so I know a bit about the countryside and I wanted something different - but neither of us had sheep before."

Both women juggle their livestock responsibilities around their jobs - Miss Paige is a self-employed gardener, while Ms Yacoubian is a parish clerk for four parishes around the Holt area.

And they both started keeping sheep with no previous experience, after making "fresh starts" in Norfolk - prompting a steep learning curve about lambing, vaccinations and shearing.

Four-day-old Valais Blacknose lambs with their mother at Wighton, near WellsFour-day-old Valais Blacknose lambs with their mother at Wighton, near Wells (Image: Denise Bradley) Ms Yacoubian moved from Cheshire in 2018 after her three children left home, as she had family connections in rural Norfolk, while Miss Paige, a mother-of-two, returned to Norfolk from County Durham 14 years ago.

They said the lambs - named Lydia, Lola, Lilibet, Leo, Lara and Sir Lancelot - will most likely be sold as pets, as the animals are too expensive in this country to be used as meat, while the fleeces are not good enough for clothing, so they are often given away to be used for rugs, crafts, or even as a protective winter mulch for plants.

Two of the four-day-old Valais Blacknose lambs at Wighton, near WellsTwo of the four-day-old Valais Blacknose lambs at Wighton, near Wells (Image: Denise Bradley) Four-day-old Valais Blacknose lambs named Lydia, Lola and Lilibet at Wighton, near WellsFour-day-old Valais Blacknose lambs named Lydia, Lola and Lilibet at Wighton, near Wells (Image: Denise Bradley) One of the four-day-old Valais Blacknose lambs at Wighton, near WellsOne of the four-day-old Valais Blacknose lambs at Wighton, near Wells (Image: Denise Bradley)