A Maryport-based business that sells draught excluders for chimneys is hoping to raise awareness over the British wool industry and its importance.

Chimney Sheep Ltd uses Herdwick wool for a number of its household and garden products.

Wool Week, which runs from October 4 to 31, aims to raise awareness about the British wool industry and the versatility of the material.

To help combat wool wastage, Chimney Sheep has set up an annual wool sourcing project called Operation Wool.

The project is to support local, Cumbrian Herdwick farmers by sourcing wool directly from them, rather than going through British Wool

By buying the wool directly from Cumbrian farmers, Chimney Sheep hopes to benefit both parties - paying the farmers a better rate compared to selling the wool to British Wool, whilst making it more cost-effective for Chimney Sheep Ltd by cutting out several sourcing steps.

This year, Chimney Sheep have 22 tonnes of wool which equates to the wool from just over 20,000 Herdwick sheep which is about 25 per cent of the UK Herdwick population.

Once the wool has been collected from local farmers it is sent over to Yorkshire to be scoured and is processed as required.

For more information on Wool Week, led by the Campaign for Wool, visit http://www.campaignforwool.org/.

For more information about Chimney Sheep, visit their website at https://www.chimneysheep.co.uk/.

You can also keep up to date with Chimney Sheep on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ChimneySheep.