A Crouch End restaurant has offered to pay for two new banners for the UK’s largest community arts festival, after the original ones were ‘stolen’

In a linguistic show of solidarity, Banner’s Restaurant on Park Road has agreed to pay for two banners for the Crouch End Festival – after the original ones, sponsored by Martyn Gerrard, disappeared at a cost of £300.

Festival artistic director Chris Arnold still does not know what happened to the banners which were “stolen” from the Hornsey Town Hall Green and The Queens pub on the Broadway Parade.

His two working theories are that they were either taken by an “overzealous” street cleaner, perhaps acting out of his authority – or that they were wrenched down by a mean-spirited “troll”.

He believes banners were also stolen from Crouch End Open Studios in May, which invites passersby to visit artists’ homes, as well as from the Crouch End Players, a community theatre group which performs Shakespeare.

The father-of-three is offering a £150 reward for anyone who can identify the “thief”.

He would then invite all community groups who have had banners stolen to bring a class action in court.

Haringey Council has made it clear they did not take the posters.

Mr Arnold yesterday described the banners saga as a “village soap opera” and added: “Forget Eastenders, yes it’s all one big soap with the Crouch Enders in the village today.”

Juliette Banner, who owns Banner’s Restaurant, said she wanted to help the Crouch End Festival organisers because she understands community budgets are tight.

She said: “£300 is an awful lot to them and we can afford it, so why not offer?”

Mr Arnold said the gesture showed Banner’s Restaurant’s were a “community spirited business.”