Roadworks which have caused long delays in Dereham for more than a week should finish tomorrow.

Three-way traffic lights have been operating on Shipdham Road at the junction with the Rash's Green Industrial Estate for more than a week after a gas leak was discovered.

But a National Grid Gas spokesman said the gas leak had been repaired yesterday

She added: 'We are now waiting for contractors to fill in the excavation and reinstate the road and we hope this will be completed by end of Thursday.

'We apologise for any inconvenience caused. We made every effort to complete the repair as soon as we could, including extending working times into the evening. It was necessary to install temporary traffic lights to safeguard both staff working in the road and other road-users.'

Several motorists complained about the length of time the work had taken and the delays.

But Dereham town councillor Tim Birt said: 'I believe the contractors have been their doing their best... but the sheer weight of traffic means there will be significant delays at busy times.

'Local residential roads are experiencing increased traffic volumes as motorists try to find a short-cut. This is especially difficult on Westfield Lane, where the single carriageway railway bridge crossing is shared by pedestrians. I have seen two near-miss incidents near the bridge where motor vehicles are attempting to enter Rash's Green Industrial estate using the one-way exit only route.'

He added: 'The situation does show how close Dereham is to breaking point from a traffic flow perspective.'