WESTMORLAND folk dancers have so impressed top Morris men with their organisation of a dance festival they have been invited to stage an important meeting.

Chairman of the Morris Federation John Bacon has asked the Westmorland Step Garland Dancers to host the national annual meeting.

It follows the dancers' successful National Weekend of Dance, which attracted 150 participants from across the country and saw them perform traditional dances across South Lakeland.

Kathy Trimmer, of the Westmorland Dancers, said the annual meeting would be an "even larger event" and provide an off-season tourist boon.

"This would put Kendal and the local team firmly in the spotlight in the Morris dancing world and would bring several hundred people to Kendal."