BARN owls Sooty and Sweep from the New Forest Owl Sanctuary at Ringwood are giving their stamp of approval today for the Royal Mail's first special philatelic issue of 2003.
Birds of prey is the theme of the new stamps and barn owls feature on one of the two strips.
The five first-class stamps, pictured above, go on sale at Post Offices from January 14.
Sooty and Sweep will be posing for photographs with giant versions of the new stamps and giving a flying display at the owl sanctuary in Crow Lane, which is run by Bruce Berry.
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