A BUMPER crop of creative characters is expected for this year's Settle Flowerpot Festival.

The third annual Flowerpot Festival in the North Craven market town comes hot in the tyremarks of the Tour de Yorkshire cycle race and everyone is getting into the spirit of the event.

Heidi Kettle, marketing manager of Falcon Manor, Settle's luxury country house hotel, said: "We are looking forward to a fantastic display of flowerpots this summer. We can't wait to see Settle going planter potty once again."

The flowerpot characters go up all around Settle for the whole of July and August, finishing after the Settle Folk Gathering which runs from September 1 - 4. The festival will launch at the Falcon Manor's Family Day on July 3. There will also be a fun discovery trail to make sure nobody misses the best creations, available for £1 from Settle Tourist Information Centre.

Heidi said: "The flowerpots are popular with our guests who enthuse about the clever, intricate and often witty handiwork of the Settle community.

"This year we will be unveiling Dandy and Daisy, our very own Falcon Manor flowerpot bridal couple. We have helped so many couples to celebrate their weddings at the Falcon since we opened two years ago, a bride and bridegroom seemed perfect for our flowerpot characters."

Displays in previous years have included a huge dragon, scouts descending steps in a canoe, sheep, ducks, a fisherman, cricketers, the Cave Rescue Organisation's CRO crow and even the naked rambler!

Festival organiser Steve Amphlett, of the Vibrant Settle Community Partnership, said: "Nobody actually counted, but we reckon there must have been more than 200 flowerpot figures on display last year. This year we are hoping for even more and I suspect that there will be a few displays that will feature Tour de Yorkshire bikes."

Vibrant Settle, a voluntary organisation which aims to encourage people to work together to make Settle a better place to live, work, play and visit, started the Flowerpot Festival to attract visitors. It was inspired by a display in a West Country coffee shop.

More details on the Flowerpot Festival are at http://www.visitsettle.co.uk/settle-flowerpot-festival.html and on the Settle Flowerpot Festival Facebook page.