Dylan Thomas's statue takes on a new look

The Batman-style motif appeared overnight in Swansea and Neath.

Now they have been unmasked as a publicity stunt to promote the region's rugby club.

But Neath-Swansea Ospreys say only environmentally-friendly paint was used which should fade away by the weekend, and the stickers are easily removable.

We wanted to create a buzz for this new team - get people talking about us Chief executive Roger Blyth

Swansea Council says it was informed about the stunt which went ahead with its blessing.

The symbols will be cleaned away with pressure hoses as part of its routine street cleaning programme.

The club held up their hands and said it was part of a so-called guerrilla marketing campaign to draw attention to upcoming games.

Under the cover of darkness, the stickers popped up at dozens of locations including Swansea's Castle Square, bus and train stations, bollards, hoardings and shop windows.

The designs had left people wondering who had spent so much time and effort creating them.

Giant mask banners were attached to bridges and railings on the main roads in the area.

Even one of Swansea's most famous sons - Dylan Thomas - could not escape the branding with a mask fitted over the face of his statue at the city's marina.

The mystery logos painted on the tiles at Castle Square, Swansea

The club says the symbol will be the new unofficial logo for the regional side and is based on the unusual facial markings of the Osprey bird.

As well as leaving shoppers and workers puzzled, politicians from Swansea and Neath were baffled when they were sent cardboard masks along with a mystery riddle.

Ospreys' joint chief executive Roger Blyth said: "We were looking to create a marketing campaign that would set the Ospreys apart from other regional rugby sides.

"We wanted to create a buzz for this new team, get people talking about us and ultimately appeal to a whole new generation of rugby supporters as well as our established fan base."

The campaign will continue throughout the week in the run-up to the Ospreys' next home game against Munster at St Helen's, Swansea, on Saturday.