Puffin and bumblebee among 18 creatures shortlisted to feature on banknotes

Eighteen animals, birds and insects have been shortlisted to appear on future banknotes - and the public can have their say on which creatures feature.

The wildlife beauty contest gives the colourful kingfisher and common frog an equal chance of a place on the next series of Bank of England notes.

The replacement of historical characters, particularly Sir Winston Churchill, with British wildlife sent political leaders into a frenzy of condemnation earlier this year.

But now people have a month to offer their views about which species of wildlife should be honoured on the £5, £10, £20 and £50 notes.

In a bid to prevent the otherwise inevitable Stoaty McStoatface jokes, those voting will not be able to nominate any alternatives.

"I very much hope the public will enjoy engaging in our consultation to choose the animals to feature on our next series of banknotes," said Victoria Cleland, the Bank's chief cashier, whose signature appears on banknotes.

"The shortlisted animals demonstrate the rich variety of wildlife we have to celebrate in the UK."

The new banknotes will each feature one animal or bird, but the public will be able to select up to two of their favourites from each of three categories on the shortlist before the deadline of the end of 3 July.

The mammals are: the bottlenose dolphin, the brown hare, the European hedgehog, the grey seal, the pine martin and the red fox.

The second category of birds feature: the Atlantic puffin, the barn owl, the common kingfisher, the Eurasian curlew, the great spotted woodpecker, and the white-tailed eagle.

The final section of amphibians, insects and fish, has: the Atlantic salmon, the basking shark, the buff-tailed bumblebee, the common frog, the Emperor dragonfly, and the marsh fritillary butterfly.

The panel of experts which chose the contenders is made up of wildlife filmmakers and presenters Gordon Buchanan, Miranda Krestovnikoff and Nadeem Perera, alongside Ulster Wildlife's Katy Bell, and academics Steve Ormerod and Dawn Scott.

However, it will be Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey who makes the final decision, not necessarily choosing the four animals that receive the highest number of public responses.

The process of designing, testing a printing the notes takes several years before they can enter circulation.

The next series will continue to include a portrait of the monarch, as well images representing the home nations.

However, for the first time since 1970, the reverse side will no longer feature notable figures from history.

On notes circulating currently, in ascending order of value, are former Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill, author Jane Austen, artist JMW Turner and mathematician and wartime codebreaker Alan Turing.

It was the removal of wartime leader Churchill that particularly irked politicians earlier this year.

"They propose we replace people like him with a picture of a beaver," said Reform leader Nigel Farage, although the beaver has subsequently failed to make the shortlist.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said: "I can't think of a worse time to do this with a war waging in Europe." Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said it was "a silly thing to do".

The Bank the move was primarily to stop counterfeiting so all images need to be replaced on banknotes over time.

Churchill's own granddaughter, Emma Soames, told the BBC she never thought the image of her grandfather on the fiver "was going to go on forever".

When asked how she would feel if he were replaced by a badger, she said: "Well, lucky badger or lucky grandpapa", adding that a suitable substitute should be a very brave and courageous animal. The badger also ultimately failed to make the shortlist.

Rats, pigeons, foxes and gulls were championed by the RSPCA as intelligent and "under-appreciated" animals which deserved a place.

Only the fox from the animal charity's list is listed as a contender.