KNITTED characters from children’s literature are due to descend on a North Yorkshire town, as a group of anonymous knitters get involved with World Book Day.

On Saturday (March 1) woollen figures from books and nursery rhymes will appear in shop windows in Northallerton town centre.

The characters have been created by a group of guerrilla knitters, who in 2012 struck the centre of Northallerton under cover of darkness, tying knitted royals and corgis to lampposts and shrubs for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

This time they have enrolled the help of shop-keepers and Northallerton Library to create a trail of characters for children, as part of World Book Day.

About 37 characters will be placed in shop windows, including a hobbit, a Gruffalo and Little Red Riding Hood. They will remain in place for several weeks to allow children the chance to find them.

Entry forms for the trail are available from Northallerton Library, which is open between 9.30am and 1.30pm on Saturday and have to be returned by March 15.

The winner will be able to keep their favourite woolly figure, while the rest will be auctioned off for charity and other prizes will also be offered.

Entry is free, but donations to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance are welcome.