Royal Mail has issued a limited edition postage stamp featuring classic children’s TV character Bagpuss.

Legendary animator Peter Firmin – who produced the much-loved Bagpuss series in a barn near Canterbury – was in the city centre to unveil the stamp today.

Just 50 limited edition stamps have been issued nationwide, featuring famous Britons including Winston Churchill, Dylan Thomas and Sherlock Holmes.

Each stamp has been unveiled on a specially selected pillar box in a town or city associated with those featured on it.

Firmin, 86 officially unveiled the Bagpuss stamp at a postbox on Stour Street.

He said: “I never thought when I created Bagpuss many years ago that he would continue to be so well loved by people of all ages.

"It’s a great honour for this ‘saggy old cloth cat’ to appear on an iconic Royal Mail postbox in his hometown of Canterbury.”

Last week saw The Clangers – another creation of Firmin and long-time collaborator Oliver Postgate - return to our tv screens.

The BBC’s 21 century remake of the classic 1970s series was even better than the original, Firmin said.

He told the KM Group last week: “Everyone’s saying how marvellous this is.

“I think this is better [than the original]. They’ve insisted on still using puppets and stop-frame animation.

“But the production process is digital. Now of course they have about six animators. You can get all the subtleties right post production.

“The perfection is there.”

Last year Firmin was awarded a Bafta in recognition of his services to children’s television.

At the time, he played down the award and said the praise should go to Postgate, who died in 2008.

“The important thing was Oliver’s storytelling,” said Firmin. “I created the puppets which were very basic. We used card-board.

“But with Oliver’s stories we were able to create something people still remember. That’s where the magic lay – in the stories.”

Speaking at the unveiling of the Bagpuss stamp today, Joanna Jones, Director of Museums and Galleries at Canterbury City Council, said: “I am delighted that Royal Mail has chosen this unique way to celebrate this well-known and lovable cat.

“He first delighted children when he appeared on television screens in 1974 and he can still be seen in the Heritage Museum, where he’s on permanent display with other characters from the show, and of course on the plaque on this Canterbury postbox.”