Meet the animals set to appear on the Bank of England's new banknotes

Four British wildlife species are set to become the new faces of Bank of England banknotes.

The Atlantic puffin, barn owl, buff-tailed bumblebee and European hedgehog will feature on the redesigned notes.

More than 2.5 million votes were cast after people across the UK were asked to choose their favourite animal from a shortlist.

It's the first time since 1970 that famous historical figures will no longer feature on the reverse of Bank of England notes.

Last year it was revealed that banknotes produced by the Bank of England were to get their first major redesign in more than 50 years.

The bank asked for the public's help on what themes and images they'd like to see on their notes.

The majority of people picked nature as their preferred theme.

As a result, the Bank of England came up with a shortlist of 18 species, including birds, mammals, insects, amphibians and fish, which the public voted for over the summer.

More than 2.5 million votes were cast by almost half a million people, including wildlife fans and primary school classes.

The buff-tailed bumblebee came out on top overall, with more than 360,000 votes.

The barn owl was the most popular bird, while the European hedgehog received the most support in the mammal category.

The Atlantic puffin was also selected to represent marine life and celebrate Britain's coastline, even though other birds received more votes.

The four animals will each appear as the main image on one of the new £5, £10, £20 or £50 notes.

However, the Bank of England hasn't yet decided which animal will appear on which note.

The designs are still being worked on, and other species from the shortlist could feature elsewhere on the notes too.

The next series of Bank of England notes will still include a portrait of the King, as well as images representing the home nations.

However, for the first time since 1970, the images on the back will no longer feature important people from history.

The decision has split opinion among some people.

Some politicians have said they are unhappy that former Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill - who appears on the £5 note - could disappear from future banknotes.

But the Bank of England says that it's important to replace banknotes over time in order to stop counterfeiting.

However, it's unlikely that you will see any changes to banknotes anytime soon.

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

Wildlife already appears on banknotes in other parts of the UK, with red squirrels, mackerel and otters featuring on notes issued by the Bank of Scotland.