Warwick's a lickable best friend

Feb 21 2008 By Paul Bradley

A GUIDE dog from Solihull has been immortalised on a special edition Royal Mail stamp.

Two-year-old Warwick, a Labrador Golden Retriever crossbreed, appears next to the Queen's head on the new 78p stamp.

He belongs to Eileen Poole from Smiths Wood, near Solihull, and was trained by the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association's Warwickshire team.

After 18 months of training his image will now feature on letters posted across the UK as the stamp is launched to mark the year of the assistance dog.

But it was only thanks to the donations of old mobile phones and printer cartridges from people in Warwickshire that the money was raised to give Warwick his Guide Dogs for the Blind training.

Alan Brooks, chairman of Assistance Dogs UK, said: "We are delighted that Royal Mail has produced this beautiful collection of stamps and hope that it will help to raise awareness of the impact that guide and other assistance dogs have on the lives of disabled people."

Warwickshire County Council's portfolio holder for the environment, Coun Martin Heatley, added: "This is great news to see our Warwick immortalised on a stamp.

"Guide Dogs are a very worthwhile local charity helping to improve the quality of life of people who are partially sight or blind."

The collection of stamps will be on sale in Post Offices until next Thursday.