But today the atmosphere surrounding the Ice House in Great Yarmouth is far from chilled.

Instead, work to revamp the Grade II listed building has led to an unruly dispute between a scaffolding firm and organisers of an international circus festival.

Contractors employed by Out There Arts, which runs an annual festival in the town, were attempting to carry out work on a sewer pipe as part of efforts to revamp the historic Ice House.

The thatched building along the banks of the River Yare once played a pivotal role in the town's fishing industry, and is now being turned into a community arts venue and circus school.

This required the engineers to readjust scaffolding poles holding up the Haven Bridge pub, a controversial site that was devastated by a fire in 2022, to access a manhole cover.

Quinn Construction workers were attempting to carry out sewer pipe work outside the Haven Bridge pub in Great Yarmouth, which is held up with scaffolding (Image: KB Scaffolding)

However, KB Scaffolding, the company which erected scaffolding following the fire, forced them off the site.

It claimed the workers were putting their own lives at risk by tampering with the structure, saying it could have been "catastrophic" and that it was illegal.

The fallout has led the chief lawyer for Great Yarmouth Borough Council (GYBC) chief to get involved, warning the police could be called if the work is not allowed to be completed.

Out There Arts intends to revamp the Ice House and turn it into an........

© Eastern Daily Press