Wymondham Town Council have taken up an offer by Norfolk County Council of mediation in the dispute over the removal of play equipment at a play area in the town.

The removal of some of the play equipment at King's Head Meadow has been suspended and the fences will be removed.

Councillor Lee Hornby said: 'We have taken the offer by Norfolk County Council to act as mediators to find a way forward.

'The fences will be removed on health and safety grounds. Contractors cannot tell us when they can take it down.

'Hopefully this will take the sting out of things and we can get to talking.'

For the fourth day in a row a large number of people have occupied the play area to carry on their campaign to stop play equipment being relocated from the play area due to noise and anti-social behaviour concerns.

Derek Ward, board member of Wymondham Football Club, has joined the protesters every day.

He said: 'I do not think the council thought in their wildest dreams they were going to get this much opposition. We never even thought that so many people would be supporting it.'

The controversy started when contractors arrived on Monday morning to remove the play equipment, but they were stopped by a blockade of parents and children.

In June, the majority of Wymondham Town Council, which owns the play park, voted to remove the new equipment from the play park after noise complaints were made by residents on Orchard Way, whose properties back on to the play park.

Five councillors have opposed the play equipment being moved from King's Head Meadow and have suggested alternative sites at the field.

Residents who live in Orchard Way, and whose properties back onto the park, have complained of the noise and behaviour of teenagers who use the park in the evenings.

One resident, who did not wish to be named, said: 'Moving the equipment to another site is going to create a problem for someone else. You get older children using the swings which it is not who they are meant for. It is their language and their noise.'