The Royal Mail issued its Christmas stamps featuring scenes inspired by the Nativity.

The seven stamps include images of Mary and baby Jesus and Joseph visited by the Angel

The seven stamps include images of Mary and baby Jesus and Joseph visited by the Angel, which Royal Mail said were inspired by verses from the Gospels of Matthew and Luke.

Around two billion items are expected to be posted over the festive season, including 130 million on the busiest days, twice as many as normal.

Stephen Agar, from Royal Mail, said: “Christmas stamps help deliver festive messages of good cheer and celebration across the UK and around the world.

“This year’s stamps feature scenes from the Nativity, together with the Gospel references from the King James Bible which inspired them.

“As we start the Christmas countdown, we are encouraging people to check their address lists, include the full postcode and to get set to post their cards, and order their presents, early to help us spread the workload of handling around two billion items in the run-up to Christmas.”

Last posting dates are December 17 for second-class mail, December 20 for first-class and December 22 for special deliveries.