Plans for an artistic treasure trail around the historic streets of Lavenham have been announced.

Residents and visitors will have a chance to find and keep rare craft works in the Free Art Friday event held in the weeks leading up to this year’s Lavenham Art Festival in June.

And now the hunt is on for local artists to support the free event and donate items that could be used along the trail before the May 13 deadline.

Caroline Adams, chair of the Lavenham Guildhall museum committee, said: “We have already been donated a number of pieces of art which will be hidden around various locations in Lavenham. But the more we get, the more we can hide and the more opportunities residents and visitors will get to claim a free piece of artwork.

“Free Art Friday events are held around the world and we thought it would be a great way of promoting the wonderful Lavenham Art Festival. We will post a photo on our Instagram and Facebook accounts, and use the hashtag #freeartfridaylavenham giving a visual clue as to where it might be. Whoever finds it gets to keep the piece of art forever.”

The Lavenham Art Festival, held on June 11 and 12, has more than 45 artists already signed up for exhibitions, trails and demonstrations.

The weekend, which is sponsored by Jonathan Lambert and the Swan at Lavenham, will include an artists’ studio trail, arts and crafts demonstrations in the Market Place and art exhibitions in Little Hall and the Church of St Peter and St Paul. An open art exhibition for anyone living in Lavenham will be hosted by the Guildhall, while there will be a focus on young artists with an exhibition of paintings of the Queen by the children of Lavenham School.

For more information on the Free Arts Friday event, search for #freeartfridaylavenham on Facebook or Instagram. To donate artwork email caroline26adams@gmail.com