Television comedy character Alan Partridge has been blamed for damaging the image of Norfolk.

Partridge, the Radio Norwich comic creation of Steve Coogan, "goes too far", according to Norfolk County councillor Charles Joyce.

Mr Joyce, a Labour councillor, told the BBC that the Alan Partridge programme might damage the view of Norfolk in the business community.

"We do have to worry about it because we are trying to promote Norfolk as a place to do business," he said.

Possibly he's a distant relative of Alan's!

Alison King, council leader

"Rather than having a good laugh with us, he prefers to make a game of us which does not help us in any way at all and brings down his programme."

But Alison King, leader of Norfolk County Council, said she did not support Mr Joyce's comments.

"I'm an Alan Partridge fan and he and his team are welcome here at any time," she said.

'Fantastic place'

"As for Councillor Joyce's comments I wonder whether he is either secretly looking for a place on the scriptwriting team... or possibly he's a distant relative of Alan's.

"Norfolk is a fantastic place, the people who live here are extremely welcoming and we have a wry sense of humour too."

Earlier this month, independent Norwich city councillor Andrew Pearmain called the association between Norwich and the failed TV presenter potentially damaging to the city.

'Real life'

Mr Pearmain was widely reported as having blamed the "Partridge effect" for Norwich's failure to be shortlisted for the European City of Culture 2008.

He claims the reports were exaggerated, but added: "We do have to think about what kind of image we are projecting, and does it represent the real life that people in the city are actually leading?"

In an interview with BBC Radio Norfolk, he said the Alan Partridge show "doesn't correspond to the Norwich I know and love".

A BBC spokesman said the show was a comedy, not a documentary.