Councillors vote to install bar at town hall as part of £55,000 refurb

Hunstanton Town Council rubber stamped a recommendation from its finance and property committee to carry out the work when it met tonight.,

A report to the town's annual meeting, held before full council, said: "It is a listed building needing constant attention and has been professionally surveyed this year.

"The exterior has been re-painted and work in progress includes re-roofing the turret and adjacent hip roof, repairing the collapsed lath and plaster ceiling over the stairs, treatment to the main hall wooden floor, altering the bar, kitchen, toilet area layout to incorporate an extra, larger toilet, re-carpeting the hall and re-covering the stage, all costing £55,000."

Mike Ruston, chair of the council's finance and property committee, added: "Local contractors and suppliers are used as far as possible as council policy. Until this is complete the main hall is out of use for obvious safety reasons."

A police report to the meeting said there had been 20 offences in the town between March 29 and April 25, including seven violent crimes. Three of the victims had declined to press charges.

There were also four drug offences, including white powder seized in a raid which was still under investigation, a person charged with possessing 0.39g of cocaine after being stopped and searched and two street cautions for small amounts of cannabis.

Reported crimes also included the theft of sausages worth £2.50, while an investigation into suspected disorderly behaviour was continuing into a dispute between neighbours over the placement of plant pots.

Acting Insp Di Woodage said in the report there had been no incidents of dog theft in the area. But town councillor Amanda Knight said there had been incidents where people had tried to lure dogs away from their owners using whistles.

Town councillors agreed to sponsor the town's music festival, by contributing 50pc towards the cost of the stage. No figure was given at the meeting.