ANIMATED characters Wallace and Gromit will feature on Royal Mail's Christmas stamps this year.

On sale from November 2, the stamps feature the characters going about their festive duties, with the 1st class stamp showing the pair posting cards.

Wallace and Gromit go carol singing on the 2nd class stamp and dress the Christmas tree on the 60p stamp.

As usual, Gromit is left to do the majority of the work, carrying the cards and hauling an unfeasibly large Christmas pudding around on the 97p stamp, with his reward being a bone-themed jumper shown on the £1.46 stamp.

Royal Mail's design team worked closely with creator Nick Park and Bristol-based Aardman Animations.

The approach to the stamps was similar to how Aardman Animations create a film, with Mr Park drawing scenes and jokes involving the characters, before refining the designs to work in a stamp format.

Each stamp was constructed with models, props and sets – all created for the issue.

Mr Park said: "It's been such a wonderful honour and a pleasure to work with Royal Mail and to have my characters Wallace and Gromit immortalised on their very own stamps.

"It was one of the biggest challenges my talented team and I have faced yet - to create memorable Christmas images of the duo – the size of postage stamps. But we knew we'd lick it in the end."

Royal Mail spokesman Philip Parker said: "The process of developing these stamps has been a labour of love for all concerned – but I think it has resulted in one of the finest sets of Christmas stamps Royal Mail has ever produced.

"Keen-eyed collectors armed with a magnifying glass will see that the envelope seen being posted on the 1st Class stamp features the actual 1st class stamp."