A child from Ivybridge has been named as one of the regional winners in Royal Mail’s children’s Christmas Stamp Design Competition.

The entry by Olivia Kendryna, 6, of Ugborough Primary School, was chosen from 12,824 entries submitted from across the South West region, and will now go through to the next stage of the competition where local judges will select the top two designs from the South West to go through to the final.

Local judges for the South West region will include: Phil Gibby from the Arts Council, artist, Mary Rouncefield, Ken McCormick from the Bristol Post and Geoff Braden from Royal Mail

Royal Mail has received over 200,000 entries from children aged betweenn four and 11 across the UK in response to the question: ‘What does the Christmas season mean to you?’

There will be two winning pictures - one to appear on a 1st Class stamp, the other on a 2nd Class stamp. Both winning designs will have to be approved by Her Majesty The Queen.

Only three times in Royal Mail’s 500-year history have children’s designs been used on Christmas stamps; 1966, the year the first Christmas stamps were issued in the UK, 1981 and 2013.

The two winners will be announced in the summer and the stamps will go on sale on November 7, 2017.

Olivia has already won £100 in vouchers and £100 for her school. However, this will increase if she progresses in the competition.