A NEW event is being planned to replace the defunct Maryport Blues Festival.

In a bold bid to recoup the thousands of ponds of revenue lost with the shock cancellation of the blues, the town council is looking to start a festival based around the town's seafaring industry.

Councillor Carol Tindall told a meeting on Monday night that consideration was being given to something along the lines of Taste of the Sea.

"We could make it a three-day festival over a long weekend.

"We would ask local businesses to be involved and for cafes and pubs to have stalls featuring sea food.

"There would be music - sea shanties at one end of the venue and other music at the other, and other entertainment.

"We need to do something to bring people into the town they way the blues did," she said.

She said the essential element would be to ensure that a new festival did not clash with any existing ones.

"Kendal Calling set up on the same weekend as the blues and added to its demise," she said.

She said it might be possible to hold the festival at Easter or May bank holiday or even to combine it with the annual trawler race.

Councillor Gary Hampson, who runs the trawler race, warned the council that it needed to "crawl before we walk and walk before we run."

He said the Solway Trust had organised a festival to run alongside the trawler race and it had been a £30,000 flop.

"Let's build a festival up," he said.

Blues spokeswoman Jacqui Towers praised the council for trying.

"We certainly need to do something.

"The pubs held Maryport Live this year with live music around the town.

"It was a busy time for the pubs but most of the people who were there were from Maryport so there was no flow-on effect for the rest of the business community.

"The blues brought people into town from all over and provided the town's most significant annual economic boost."

Deborah Wright, chairman of the Maryport promotional group, Maryporters, said: "I totally agree that we need to have something to replace the blues because it was so important to the town.

"If we do have another festival, though, it needs to be supported by those who benefit from it.

"It is also important, of course that it is something that will encourage people into town and not just the harbour. That was the beauty of the blues.

"I think we need something authentic - something that says Maryport.

"From that point of view a seafood festival might be great."

Councillors Tindall, Hampson, Peter Kendall and Linda Radcliffe have been tasked to investigate further with a view to starting a festival next year.