A CHURCH leader has hit out at the Post Office over a shortage of stamps with Christian images on them.

The Dean of Blackburn, The Very Rev Christopher Armstrong, is angry that he cannot send out his Christmas cards with stamps showing the Madonna and Child.

The Post Office has said it printed 300million special stamps this year but did not want stocks left.

It has not said how many Madonna and Child stamps were printed, compared with those showing angels.

It has apologised for the lack of stamps showing the traditional Christian image and said there were other ways to get hold of them.

The Dean's protest follows national concern in Church circles about the apparent lack of Christian stamps.

Dean Armstrong, who is based at Blackburn Cathedral, had requested 200 Madonna stamps last week from his local post office near Preston New Road but was told they had none left.

He said: "This issue is annoying me.

"I purchased 200 angel stamps at my local post office but when I realised I took them back to exchange them for the Madonna stamps.

"But they said they had sold out.

"I asked them to order some more but after a phone call to distribution they were told it was too late to send more out.

"I said a mixture of first and second class would do and they said they could get them to me by Thursday, which was too late.

"Then I contacted Blackburn's main post office in the town centre and was told they had sold out of Madonna stamps long ago'".

A Royal Mail spokesman said: "There's been huge demand for our Christmas stamps, and we apologise that Blackburn Post Office has sold out of the Madonna and Child stamps, although the branch still has our Angels Christmas stamps in stock.

"We would recommend that customers in Blackburn who wish to buy the Madonna and Child stamps go to an alternative Post Office or retailer selling the stamps, or order them from www.royalmail.com."