A record number of schoolchildren have submitted entries to a competition to design new Royal Mail stamps to recognise heroes of the pandemic.
More than 600,000 designs were sent from almost 7,500 schools, with 120 regional finalists being chosen.
Children aged four to 14 were asked to think about who their heroes were and to design a stamp in their honour.
The designs received celebrate heroes including NHS workers, parents, carers, refuse collectors, cleaning staff, teachers, supermarket workers, public transport staff, delivery drivers and postmen and postwomen.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “It is of great credit to the children of this country that in world record breaking numbers they picked up their paintbrushes, pens and paints and paid artistic tribute to the heroes of our coronavirus response.
“Their brilliant efforts represent the collective gratitude of the nation to everyone who went above and beyond during the pandemic.
“Congratulations to all those who have made it to the next round and thank you to everyone who has taken part and to the teams at Royal Mail for managing this record number of entries.”
“We have been amazed and impressed by the sheer volume of entries, and to have achieved a Guinness World Records title in the process shows how much the UK’s children value those heroes who have kept the nation moving during such a difficult period.”
From the 120 regional finalists, a panel of judges will now determine the winning 24 regional designs in November.
Eight winning images will be chosen as official Royal Mail stamps and will appear on millions of items of mail across the UK when they are issued in spring 2022.
