The Royal Mail has issued a special commemorative sheet of stamps to mark the 40th anniversary of the end of the Goon Show, the groundbreaking radio series that was widely recognised as playing a significant role in the history of British comedy.

Alongside Union flag stamps, the set includes ten labels showing photographs of Spike Milligan, Peter Sellers and Harry Secombe. Accompanying the stamps is an fact-packed insert exploring the conception and development of the show. It features photos, quotes and stories about the people behind the comedy, the main characters in the show and some of its most illustrious fans, such as Prince Charles and Sir Noël Coward.

It also explains the influence that Spike Milligan, the creator and main script writer, had on subsequent comic writers and performers like Peter Cook, Eddie Izzard and the creators of Monty Python's Flying Circus.

The collection is priced £14.95 and is available now from www.royalmail.com