Collectors will soon be racing to get their hands on eight special stamps being released to mark the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

Diving, boxing, gymnastics, cycling, athletics, table tennis, powerlifting and wheelchair basketball are the sports chosen for their very own stamp to mark this summer's major sporting event being held in the UK.

Designed by artist Charis Tsevis, the vivid images feature illustrations of both male and female athletes competing in a selection of sports and para sports.

Birmingham 2022 will mark two significant milestones in Commonwealth Games history as it will be the first time a major multi-sport event will award more medals to women than men and it will see the staging of the largest fully integrated para sport programme to date.

Royal Mail has a rich history of issuing stamps to mark the Commonwealth Games being held in the UK with the company commemorating the British Empire Games 1925, Cardiff 1958, Edinburgh 1970, Edinburgh 1986, Manchester 2002 and most recently, Glasgow 2014.

David Gold from Royal Mail, said: "The Commonwealth Games is one of the biggest multi-sport competitions in the world and it’s fantastic to have the event take place in the UK. These colourful Special Stamps will be our lasting reminder of the occasion."

Seventy-two nations and territories will come together for 11 days of competitions across 280 medal events. The stamps will be issued on Thursday, July 28 - the same date as the opening ceremony. The games close on Monday, August 8.

For those wanting to secure their collection, the stamps are also available to pre-order from today via the Royal Mail website, by calling 03457 641 641 or through 7,000 Post Offices across the UK.

A presentation pack, containing all eight stamps, costs £12.10.