The legend of Robin Hood and his role in English folklore is being celebrated with a new series of Royal Mail stamps.

The infamous outlaw is appearing alongside Maid Marian, Little John, Friar Tuck, King Richard and the Sheriff an an exclusive set of 10 illustrated stamps.

The illustrations were created exclusively for Royal Mail by artist Jon McCoy who has worked on feature films such as The Batman; Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker; Avengers; and Blade Runner 2049.

He said: "It's been an amazing honour to illustrate for Royal Mail, one of the great English legends, and favourite stories from my childhood. I hope everyone enjoys these stamps as much as I did."

As most scholars have come to agree that no particular individual can be proved to have been the ‘original’ Robin Hood - the figure is more likely to have been based on more than one person.

Traditionally, as the folk story goes, Robin Hood is made an outlaw by the Sheriff of Nottingham, so that he can confiscate Robin’s earldom of Huntingdon. In some stories, Robin also plays into the Sheriff’s hands by protecting poachers in the royal forest of Sherwood Forest where he builds a band of loyal outlaws which come to be known as his ‘merry men’.

Robin and his comrades are known for stealing valuables and taking wealth they do not need which they then redistribute among those who need it more.

To ensure the stamps depicted Robin, Maid Marian and the other men as accurately as possible, Royal Mail also worked with Dr Lesley Coote, Fellow of the University of Hull School of Humanities and an established expert on Robin Hood.

David Gold, Director of External Affairs and Policy at Royal Mail, said: "These atmospheric illustrations bring to life the timeless stories of the Legend of Robin Hood, his merry men and Maid Marian. With its themes of friendship, loyalty, humanity and love, the enduring legend of Robin Hood has captured the hearts and imagination of people for centuries and will continue to do so."

The new stamps are available to buy from Thursday either online or by phoning 03457 641 641.

A Presentation Pack including all 10 stamps in the set is priced at £11.90.