MORECAMBE people are being invited to a free party It will be centred on Lord Street in Poulton from lunchtime on Thursday, September 9.

The Morecambe Hotel, new Inn and Smuggler's Den pubs will be at the heart of the revelry.

But the catch is that this is a working party aiming to decorate the pubs and homes in the surrounding streets with camouflage nets, buntings and sandbags.

Volunteers are needed to help organisers of the Poulton Heritage Festival deck the streets ready for The Big One' a three-day festival on a 1940s theme.

Living history groups and war re-enactors will begin arriving in the area on Friday, September 10, for a massive festival aiming to commemorate D-Day and the beginning of the end of World War II.

There will be military parades, exhibitions, displays of more than 100 wartime vehicles and a D-Day battle scenario on Morecambe beach close to the lifeboat station.

But more people are needed to ensure that streets in the centre of Poulton which will be closed to traffic for the celebrations are dressed ready for the arrival of thousands of visitors.

"We want the area to look as authentic as possible," says festival committee chairman Steve Saunders.

"We have been able to beg, borrow and buy enough decorations to really transform the place but we need more hands to get everything in place.

"We have only a matter of hours to complete the task it will be hard work but we also intend to make it fun for anyone who comes along."

To find out more or to volunteer to help, call Steve on 01524-400512.