PEOPLE are playing 'hide and seek' with hand-painted rocks in Worcester.

An online group called 'Worcester Love on the Rocks' has been set up for people who decorate rocks and hide them across the city.

The group, which sees recruits share images of painted rocks they have either discovered or designed, has gained more than 300 members in just three weeks.

Single mother-of-four Leanne Gillies set up the group after researching craft ideas that she could do with her children.

She realised rock painting was trending in America and even had Facebook groups in the UK, but she discovered no such group existed for Worcester.

Ms Gillies said: "I am quite a crafty person and I was doing a bit research online when I found the idea of painting rocks was popular in America so I did a little bit of investigating and saw Worcester didn’t have a group yet so I decided to set it up."

Rocks have been spotted in Northwick, Wall Meadow and Diglis as well as Witley Court, Worcester Woods, Lansdowne Road and Gheluvelt Park.

The 32-year-old, who has three daughters Lauren, aged 13, Chloe, aged 10 and Emily, aged eight, and one son Brandon, aged 12, said she hoped it would encourage children to play outdoors.

Ms Gillies added: "It is super cheap and it gets children out and about rather than be stuck indoors.

"I really do hope it makes people smile and from some of the posts on the group already there are some very happy finders young and old.

"I buy the rocks from garden centres and then paint and varnish them but you can even find ones from your gardens.

"It's technically a free and fun thing to do and be involved in.

"When you find a painted rock you can keep it or re-hide it and then create some of your own."

Youngster Lyra Bennett, aged four, spotted a Despicable Me Minion painted rock on her way to her school, Northwick Manor Primary in Northwick Road on Friday, September 15.

Her mother, school teacher Ruth Bennett, aged 36, of Bevere, said: "We saw the Facebook group and my daughter saw the pictures of the rocks to find, she absolutely loves minions so she really wanted to find one.

"On the way to school (this morning) she was very tired until we saw one on top of the post box on Northwick Road, she was delighted to see it was a minion one.

She added: "She's been talking about it all afternoon."

To find out more information about Worcester Love on the Rocks go to on Facebook and request to become a member.