Richard ParrDereham's 19th century windmill, earmarked to become one of the town's major tourist attractions, is to be mothballed through lack of funding, town councillors have been told.Richard Parr

Dereham's 19th century windmill, earmarked to become one of the town's major tourist attractions, is to be mothballed through lack of funding, town councillors have been told.

Phillip Duigan told fellow council members that the mill's campaigners, the Friends of Dereham Windmill, had come to the end of the road after a Lottery bid for cash to restore the mill on Cherry Lane to its former glory had failed.

It has now been decided by all the interested parties involved that it should be mothballed

for the next two years - and certainly until after the London 2012 Olympics has been staged.

Mr Duigan told councillors that after the next two years, cash for projects like the

windmill would be 'looser', but that was more of a prayer than a hope.

In the short term, it was hoped to obtain a small grant from Norfolk County Council to make the landmark watertight and board it up against vandalism.

Mr Duigan paid tribute to the work of the Friends of Dereham Windmill and its hard-working and enthusiastic trustee chairman Geoff Hayton.

'Geoff and his team have done a marvellous job and they submitted an excellent Lottery application.

'The town council should officially record our thanks on behalf of town residents,' said

Mr Duigan.