NEW stamps marking 150 years since the birth of Beatrix Potter go on sale today.

The 10-stamp issue celebrates the timeless characters she created and which are still loved the world over.

Six of the most popular characters from Beatrix Potter’s 23 Original Tales feature in the Special Stamps. They are: Peter Rabbit; Mrs Tiggy-Winkle; Squirrel Nutkin; Jemima Puddle-Duck; Tom Kitten and Benjamin Bunny.

A further four stamps feature images taken from Beatrix Potter’s first book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit.

For seven days from today until August 3, Royal Mail will provide a special hand stamp on all mail posted in the post box located on at the junction of the B5285 and Stones Lane, the actual postbox Beatrix Potter used while she lived at Hill Top Farm. The image to be used is one of the first sketches Beatrix made of Peter Rabbit.

Philip Parker, of the Royal Mail, said: “Beatrix Potter created unforgettable characters which have been loved by successive generations. Our new stamps mark the anniversary of her birth with some of her most popular creations.”