GREAT Dunmow s Paralympic star Dan Bentley has helped launched a major series of Olympic and Paralympic games stamps. The 25-year-old is a British 2012 Paralympic Games medal hopeful in the sport of Boccia – a form of bowls for people with disabilities - one of

GREAT Dunmow's Paralympic star Dan Bentley has helped launched a major series of Olympic and Paralympic stamps.

The 25-year-old is a British 2012 Paralympic Games medal hopeful in the sport of Boccia - a form of bowls for people with disabilities - one of 10 sports featured on The Olympics and Paralympic Games which are issued by Royal Mail on Thursday (October 22).

Boccia was first accepted as a Paralympic sport for the New York Paralympics in 1984. Competitors can either use their hands, feet or an assistive device to propel each ball as close to the jack as possible.

Dan, who was born with cerebral palsy, has excelled at the sport, winning Paralympic Gold in the Team Boccia event at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics. He was also 2008 British champion.

At the unveiling of the stamp, Dan proudly displayed the new Boccia stamp at Portsmouth University, where he is currently studying at for a degree in Communication Design.

He said: "I feel privileged to be asked to help promote the Paralympic stamp. I feel this shows how far Paralympic sport has come and got into the public eye especially Boccia - it's fantastic.

"I would newer had thought the sport of Boccia would be put on a stamp. Let's hope the recognition keeps going until 2012."

Royal Mail has commissioned some of Britain's most exciting artists and illustrators to create three sets of stamps to be issued in the run up to London 2012 Olympic Games. The stamps will highlight both the sporting and cultural significance of the event.

The trendy-looking, highly-coloufrul Boccia stamp was designed by David Doyle, who lives on the edge of the New Forest. His work captures the atmosphere of the places and subjects that he paints and he often uses text to bring an extra dimension to his work - this has been used to great effect on the Boccia stamp.

A total of 30 first class stamps will be issued in the Olympic and Paralympic Games series, with the first 10 going on sale today. Each stamp will champion an Olympic or Paralympic sport and they will be issued in three sets in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

The 30 stamps mark the 30th Olympiad and London 2012 Paralympic Games and are official products of the London 2012 Olympics. Each stamp will feature either the London 2012 Olympic Games or Paralympic Games logo.