Police are appealing for information after banners promoting an upcoming festival were stolen.

Four publicity banners for Cockermouth Live! have been removed from Cocker Bridge and Sullart Street car park.

They were taken between May 29 and June 16.

The latest theft was overnight Saturday/Sunday from the front wall of Wordsworth House.

Bob Pritchard, Chair of Cockermouth Live! said: “It is very disappointing that someone is trying to undo the good work which the organisers and performers are putting into our very successful event, which aims to bring more people into the town to spend money in the pubs, cafes and shops.

“The point of displaying banners at prominent places is to let people visiting or passing through town know that there’s something exciting going on here. We run this festival on a shoe-string and the 500 performers in town on Saturday in the daytime are giving their services free to entertain the public.

"We bought a new set of banners this year, costing several hundred pounds. So we would ask whoever has removed these banners secretly in the dead of night to return them similarly and leave them outside the Kirkgate Centre.

“Meanwhile, we hope that the lack of banners will not mean fewer people coming to the festival, the biggest and best yet."

Anyone with any information is asked to contact police on 101, email 101@cumbria.police.uk or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, quoting log 80 of June 17.