The Highways Agency has issued an apology for putting out a misleading leaflet that showed traffic from the A47 being diverted through the centre of Dereham.

The Highways Agency has issued an apology for putting out a misleading leaflet that showed traffic from the A47 being diverted through the centre of Dereham.

The leaflet sent to scores of residents in the town and surrounding villages explained diversion routes while slip roads into Dereham are closed during roadworks on the A47 in May.

The mistake sparked fears that there would be traffic chaos as trunk road traffic was channelled down the town's busy High Street.

But yesterday the HA admitted the leaflet was wrong and that motorists would be sent around less busy roads avoiding the town centre while it resurfaces a two km stretch of the A47 around Dereham.

A HA spokesman said: “We are sorry that there is an error in the leaflet. The route will be clearly signed on the ground.”

Slips roads at Etling Green and Dereham Interchange will be closed for up to six weeks from May 9 but the A47 will remain open, with one carriageway open to two way traffic while the other carriageway is repaired.

The diversion route comes off the A47 at North Tuddenham runs down to the B1147, down Norwich Road in to Dereham, along Matsell Way, down Neatherd Road, along Wellington Road, down Swaffham Road along the B1146 and along Dereham Road through Scarning before rejoining the A47 just past Wendling.

The two km section involved runs from the end of the dual carriageway at Dereham by the Ascot Gardens subway and carries on eastbound just over one km after the Mattishall Road bridge.

The resurfacing and drainage work has already begun on the A47 and is due to finish at the beginning of July.