BUSINESSES and organisations displaying flags for the Queen's Jubilee in Pendle have been warned to mark them with their postcode after incidents in Barrowford in which flags have been stolen.

More than 80 Union Jack flags have been provided by the parish council for shops and businesses in the area but at least ten have already been stolen within a week of being put on display.

Rainbows special needs nursery, in Gisburn Road, reported that two of their flags had gone missing on Friday night which they were going to use at a special jubilee party next week.

Others have also gone at Pendle Brook House residential home and town centre shops, including Little Feet shoe shop, in Nora Street, and Plunkett's Electrical Service Ltd, in Gisburn Road.

Richard Nelson, of Barrowford Parish Council, said: "We can't put the flags back at Rainbows because they could get stolen again but on the day of the party we will find some for them.

"We are disappointed that people couldn't leave the flags alone. It is difficult to keep an eye on them all."

Inspector Paul Robinson, of Nelson police, said: "Several flags have gone missing from various locations in the area. Lines of inquiry are progressing in regards to these missing items.

"The difficulty is trying to identify where the flags have come from with their being an abundance of them about at the moment for the Jubilee and the World Cup.

"My advice would be for people to put the number of their shop or house number and their postcode somewhere in the body of the flag near the flag pole so we can identify its origin."

A flag was stolen from outside the Pendle Brook House on Saturday.

Manager Donald Holmes said: "We only had the one flag and it was within arms reach on the wall near the entrance. It was only up for about a week which is a shame. I think the parish council are going to replace it because it is really nice and colourful in Barrowford now."

A member of staff from Plunketts said they had two flags stolen within a day or two of them being put up.

She said: "We have a big canopy and they've been getting up on that and taking the flags from the brackets we put up. They've been doing a bit of acrobatics to get them.

"Its pretty annoying. We have got some replacement flags so we are going to move the brackets higher up the wall so it's not as easy to reach them."

If anyone has any information as to who could be responsible for the missing flags they should contact the police on 01282 425001.