Daleks VS stamps:BBC Online Article

 Will the Daleks win?

A vision of things to come?

The Daleks are battling it out with Coronation Street's Ena Sharples over who is to appear on a special selection of stamps to mark the coming of the millennium.

Dr Who's deadly enemies may have the edge over the former soap opera character in popularity - but objections have been raised over the stamp's design - so it is literally back to the Dalek drawing board for the Royal Mail.

John Pertwee as Dr Who in The Day of the Daleks

Altogether there are 12 categories of stamps, one for each month, all celebrating famous or historical figures from the past 1,000 years.

Ena and the Daleks are vying for the fourth and final position in the entertainment category which will be released in June.

Designs for both images are by artist Justin Mortimer, who produced a controversial portrait of the Queen last year.

Charlie Chaplin, who was born in London in 1889, will feature on a stamp

The only living people who can appear on stamps are members of the royal family. Violet Carson, who played the character of Ena Sharples, died in 1983, aged 85. She was a cult figure on the Granada TV's long-running soap and the TV company are said to be happy with her as a choice.

So far only one image in the entertainment category has been definitely confirmed - the silent movie star Charlie Chaplin.

Freddie Mercury is in the running for a place on a Royal Mail stamp

Another stamp will feature someone from the world of football, although exactly which famous figure has not yet been decided. One of the favourites is Bobby Moore, Captain of England's 1966 World Cup winning team.

The remaining stamp will celebrate Live Aid, the landmark charity event of the 1980s. It is likely to feature the face of Freddie Mercury, the former lead singer of the band Queen.

A Royal Mail spokesperson said that the final decision will be made in the next couple of months.