Norfolk Wildlife Trust (NWT) and its partners were behind the project to find the ponds or “pingos” which originated through natural glacial processes more than 10,000 years ago.

NWT said dormant seeds preserved in sediment layers in the Brecks had germinated, bringing back a variety of aquatic plants, including rare fen pondweed.

“We think we are seeing one of the world’s most successful ecological restoration techniques unfold and reveal its true potential,” said University College London (UCL) professors Helene Burningham and Carl Sayer.