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Organisers of a nature festival in Cumbria were forced to clarify its dress code after receiving enquiries from nudists. Cumbria Nature Festival also offered refunds to anyone who had booked tickets "in error", with the "misunderstanding" linked to would-be attendees wrongly interpreting it as a celebration of "naturists", meaning a person who practices social nudity.

Sam Griffin, a member of the organising committee, said: "We haven't ultimately had to refund anyone, so we're hopeful our offering has been sufficient to retain their interest, despite imposing a dress code."

Organisers quickly took to social media to correct misconceptions about the event this week, writing: "After a recent enquiry, we need to clarify - Cumbria Nature Festival is primarily aimed at NATURALISTS... not NATURISTS. While we aim to be as inclusive as possible, and certainly do not judge anyone, we are aiming the event at wildlife enthusiasts. Please do dress appropriately."

Mr Griffin told the BBC: "People hear 'naturalist' and they interpret it as something else. It's a common misunderstanding, I suppose.

"We're just wildlife enthusiasts rather than anything else. We've had quite a good response to the post - we gained a lot of followers on the Facebook account and that's generated ticket sales."

The event, which will be held for the first time between May 8 and May 10, is described as a festival for visitors of all ages, including activities and a range of guest speakers talking about the natural world - with no nudism involved.

Mr Griffin said the planned guided walks, workshops and conservation talks would offer a glimpse into what Cumbria has to offer in terms of wildlife, despite not always getting "the same attention as other parts of the country".

"It's not just the Lake District National Park," he added. "There's a lot going on in Cumbria generally. It's a beautiful area to explore.

"The festival will have experts from across the country, but we have a wealth of local expertise as well. The idea is to get everyone with an interest in the natural world together."