Keighley Gala Committee has vowed to go ahead with this year's extravaganza despite a second attack in successive weeks on its equipment store.

Procession signs and float material were stolen in a burglary less than a week after most of the gear was torched in an arson attack.

Chairman Brian Hudson said: "We went down to clear up the burnt items and found that the garages had been damaged.

"The boarding up I had done was kicked in. It has been quite secure but they smashed it to bits to get in."

All the equipment that had been saved following the fire was stolen, including seats and benches.

The committee also needs to replace other items to ensure the gala goes ahead this year on June 4.

They include 85 specially-made road signs to divert traffic safely around the town during the procession, and 150 barriers to prevent people sneaking into the gala field.

Objects used to make the floats for the outgoing and new gala queens were also damaged.

But despite earlier fears that the 129-year-old gala would not go ahead this year, the committee has vowed to fight the attackers.

Following the arson attack, Mr Hudson said it might be the last straw for officials who were already disenchanted with organising the annual event.

He said this week: "We are a bit sickened. But we are determined to go ahead. The committee is not going to let them beat us. We have had a couple of nice letters asking us to go on. We have had a meeting and everyone is agreed we should go ahead. We don't think these people should beat us."

One of the letters came from Haworth Riding for the Disabled, which regularly joins the parade and last year walked away with the best entry.

Jackie Butterfield, secretary of the riding club, said: "We were really disappointed when we heard it might be scrapped, so I wrote asking them to carry on.

"They do a brilliant job for charity and we have benefited."

The committee's insurance cannot cover the £10,000-plus cost of replacing the damaged and stolen items because the annual premium is greater than the value of the items. Treasurer Gerald Brooksbank said: "We have discussed what to do and first the main feeling was we could not go on.

"But we have quite a lot of support from people who have been involved with the gala in the past and we feel it would be wrong to let these people down."

Instead the committee will dip into its reserve fund to buy new steel-framed security sheds and replace the other equipment.

Mr Hudson said the committee was exploring a variety of options to replace the road signs. Help was also needed to knock down the garages and replace them with the steel sheds.

Anybody willing to help should contact him on 07774 946394.