The mayor of Downham Market hopes the town can "move forward" following the election of a market trader onto its town council, which has been involved in a long-running row.

Jenny Groom said she hopes a "line is drawn" in an 18-month dispute between some traders, residents and councillors, calling for people to move forward positively for the better of the town.

It comes after Tony Leach won the vacant seat on Downham Market Town Council with 438 votes in a by-election, with a 25pc turnout.

The market trader of 30 years accused some councillors of trying to run the town down, saying he stood for the seat to get it "back for the people".

But Ms Groom said his comments were a "misrepresentation of both the facts and the reality of the situation".

Mr Leach said: "I think lots of the people are sick to death of the way the council is going on at the moment, not being allowed to ask questions in council meetings and not being allowed in to council meetings, and the ones that are allowed in never get any answers.

"This has been going on for like two years now, there are certain elements in our council that just don't seem to want anything.

"We need to get someone in who wants to build it up again.

"I work in local towns around Norfolk and since we've come out of lockdown, all the towns seem to be booming apart from Downham Market, which is dying. And I think that's mainly down to the town council."

Responding to his comments, Ms Groom said meetings in the Town Hall currently can not take place because of its use as a vaccination centre, and its substitute venue, the Jubilee Community Centre, has no room to admit the public inside along with councillors and staff, and that there is a system set up outside for them to "sit and watch".

""At no time have people not been allowed to ask questions", she said.

"We ask that the questions are submitted before the meetings.

"We've never ever been against the market, our purpose has been to develop it and make it a destination."

The mayor said some councillors and the clerk have been receiving "nasty abuse" over the situation, adding: "It's important a line is drawn and we move forward.

"We've got to be positive and get rid of this negativity that's flying around and being ramped up."