Attleborough Community Gym, a branch of the Dereham and District Boxing Club, has seen coach Jon Dennis – a key figure in establishing the club – resign along with five other helpers.

In addition, the six volunteers who joined the Dereham club's committee with an interest in the Attleborough gym in Leys Lane, have also left.

One such committee member was Jeremy Burton, a previous town mayor and former town councillor.

He said: "I wanted more autonomy from Dereham but they wouldn't give it to us.

"At the end of the day, we wanted to run the club and do our own thing.

"Dereham was not as ambitious as we were and it was frustrating."

Mr Burton said he is now interested in setting up a club elsewhere in town with the help of Mr Dennis.

Joe Perry, who runs Dereham and District Boxing Club, said the gym was always under the Dereham name.

He said: "The (Attleborough) club was too successful. It has all been done under Dereham and District.

"For example, the money donated from the town council was given to Dereham and the money from the police was all given to Dereham – everything was set up under the Dereham name.

"Then one or two people thought it would be good to have it for themselves and wanted to take it over and call it Attleborough Boxing Club."

He added: "The lease is in Dereham Boxing Club's name and the club put in a year's rent up front.

"They decided to leave, so they left. Things have to carry on though."

Mr Perry added the club has first class facilities, that it was still running and there was no intention of closing it as there is more than four years of a five-year lease on the premises to run.

Attleborough Town Council donated £4,000 to the gym last year and at a meeting of the full council this month, councillor Ray Reynolds expressed regret at the decision.

He said: "To a certain degree we made a bit of a mistake. We went in with the best intentions but it has gone against us.

"We cannot not help clubs but we must make sure they are set up in the right way."

The club runs sessions most weekday nights and Sundays for ages 11-34.

Call Joe Perry, 07708 417549 or 01362 858148 for more details.