A STAINED-GLASS window at a Minehead church is to be celebrated on a Christmas stamp issued by Royal Mail this year.

The 56p stamp, Joseph, is taken from St Michael’s Church, on North Hill.

The window, by artist Henry Holiday, features in a set of five stamps celebrating the impact of the Pre-Raphaelite movement on church stained-glass windows.

The stamp features Joseph while the entire panel in church shows him looking protectively down at Mary and the baby.

Minehead vicar Rev Simon Lloyd said he was “absolutely delighted” to have one of his windows selected by Royal Mail.

“We are honoured to be part of the Royal Mail collection and we are obviously very proud of our window.”

Church curate Liz Mortimer said: “It’s so exciting that this part of Minehead church will take greetings of peace and joy around the world, especially as Joseph made sure Mary with Jesus arrived safely in Bethlehem for that first Christmas.”

A spokeswoman for the Royal Mail said its policy for Christmas stamps is to alternate religious and secular themes.

But last year it broke with tradition to feature both religious and secular images in its Christmas stamp collection.

The other stamps include:

* £1.35 stamp – Shephard, from St Mary’s in Upavon, Wiltshire, by Henry Holiday.

* First-class stamp – Madonna and Child, from the Church of Ormesby St Michael, Great Yarmouth, by Henry Holiday.

* Second-class stamp – Angel, from the Church of St James at Staveley, Kendal, Cumbria, by William Morris.

* 90p stamp – Wise Man, taken from the Church of St Mary the Virgin in Rye, East Sussex, by Sir Edward Burne-Jones.