A council has ordered improvement work to be carried out at an abandoned Indian restaurant which has become an eyesore in Dereham.

Akaash Tandoori Restaurant, based at 23 Market Place, closed its doors back in 2015.

But for seven years the building has remained disused and untouched, prompting countless complaints from the public about its state.

Now, Breckland Council has issued a formal notice requiring improvements to be carried out to the front of the property - after the owners failed to take action.

This includes redecorating external woodwork and walls, and taking down old signage.

In a joint statement, Alison Webb and Philip Morton, district councillors for the area, said: “Residents have been saying to us for a while that the state of this building has become a blight on the centre of Dereham.

"The council has tried to engage with the owners to encourage them to make improvements, but a lack of progress means a more has meant a more formal route has become necessary."