Police and firefighters have been called to the Dereham hotel which closed suddenly this week.
The advertising swing sign at the George Hotel was spotted dangling precariously in the high wind as rush hour traffic queued on Swaffham Road below.
There were delays while a fire crew from Dereham helped police to the sign just before 8.30am this morning (Thursday).
The landmark hotel remains shut and the blinds down after staff were reportedly told of its closure on New Year's Day.
It has not been possible to contact the owners, Allyson and Steve Marlow, by telephone since Monday.
The 18th-century coaching inn, the official meeting place for Dereham and District Round Table, appears on a map dating back to 1757 and sits on the threshold of busy market place.
Another prominent Dereham pub, the Cherry Tree, closed this time last year after serving the town for more than 200 years.
National chain JD Wetherspoon opened the Romany Rye at the former Phoenix Hotel in April last year and the Gemini pub, in nearby Sandy Lane, has recently undergone a major refurbishment to open as a Green King franchise.
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