Hundreds of brightly coloured balloons floated into the sky last week in the hope they would attract the attention of potential foster carers.

Almost 450 balloons were released from the nose of The Deep, at Sammy's Point, each representing a foster child in the city.

They were released by Marlene Stow, a foster carer from west Hull, and director of Kingston upon Hull City Council's social services Jan Didrichsen, to highlight the need for 50 or more foster families to come forward.

Mr Didrichsen said foster carers had been successfully recruited but many more were needed to give children the benefit of a loving family environment.

Hull-born television and theatre star Maureen Lipman has thrown her profile behind the campaign, telling the Mail that fostering required enormous sacrifice by the whole family but it must be "the most satisfying feeling on earth" when a child begins to accept they are worthy of being loved.

Sporting teams Hull KR, Hull City and Hull FC and the Hull Daily Mail columnist Matt Stephenson are among others who have pledged to champion the recruitment drive.