An emergency road closure is in place in Dereham to allow for urgent repairs to the parapet wall of a railway bridge.

Westfield Lane, which leads from the B1135 Yaxham Road into Toftwood, was closed after a routine inspection found the brick wall to be 'unsafe'.

The bridge carries road traffic over the Mid Norfolk Railway, the volunteer-run heritage line between Dereham and Wymondham.

A Norfolk County Council highways spokesman said the road is not wide enough to carry out repairs to the wall while allow vehicles to pass.

During the closure there will be a signed northern diversion via the B1135, A1075 and School Lane. The council said access to properties will be maintained at all times and the bridge will remain open to pedestrians and cyclists. The work is expected to be completed by November 1.

As the bridge is privately-owned, the repair cost will be rechargeable to its owners at the MNR.

Barry Woodgett, chairman of the MNR, said the railway budgeted for such repairs, and that there was no structural problem with the bridge itself.

He said: 'It is not going to cost a great fortune. There is a problem with a course of bricks along the bottom of the parapet wall, and it is just a case of replacing these bricks.

'We do have a budget for bridge repairs like this, and I don't expect it to be more than four figures.

'It has not come as a surprise because our qualified bridge engineer goes out with the county bridge examiner and they look at them together.'