Jokes and a night of laughter will be helping people in Great Yarmouth to find a job or training courses.The Your Borough Your Chance No Joke free comedy nights will be held at the Long Bar on Monday night and at Peggottys on Tuesday night.

Jokes and a night of laughter will be helping people in Great Yarmouth to find a job or training courses.

The Your Borough Your Chance No Joke free comedy nights will be held at the Long Bar on Monday night and at Peggottys on Tuesday night.

Top comedians John Mann, Kev the plasterer, Phil Butler, Harry Denford and Adam Crow will be getting the audience rolling with laughter during the Your Borough Your Chance No Joke events.

As well as information leaflets, beer mats will be promoting job and training advice during the two nights.

One of the beer mats says: “Heard the one about the three trainees from the Barracks? They just got their first jobs. No Joke!”

As well as Monday's comedy night at the Long Bar and Tuesday's fun events at Peggottys, a free No Joke comedy show will be held in the Market Place on Wednesday.

Mike Mitchell, the manager of Peggottys, joked that humour was the best medicine in helping people find jobs and that he expected about 200 people to come to Tuesday's show.

He added: “I am really chuffed we can help. I think it is a brilliant idea.”

Shane Butcher, from the Long Bar, said he had been thinking about setting up a comedy night at the bar for about a year and so had jumped at the chance to help people from the area find jobs.

The wise cracking events have been organised by Yarmouth Borough Council through a government fund and will show case the work of enterpriseGY, the Target Opportunities employment project and the Future Jobs Fund.

Jane Ratcliffe, the borough council's executive director for customers and resource, said: “We are hoping to spread the message to a wider audience and provide people with some fun at the same time.

“We need to make sure people are aware of how many real opportunities there are out there regardless of their circumstances.”

Monday's comedy night at the Long Bar on Marine Parade starts from 8.30pm and features John Mann, Kev the Plasterer and Phil Butler.

On Tuesday John Mann, Harry Denford and Adam Crow will be appearing at Peggottys in King Street from 8.30pm.

From 11am to 1.30pm local comedian Steve Ace will compere a comedy road show in the Market Place.

Anyone who wants advice on finding a job, training, or setting up a business can call the Your Borough Your Choice No Joke hotline on 01493 846202.