Staffy dog mascot will help promote county tourism

A new visitor mascot for Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent has been created based on a Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

Called Staffy, and made with the help of Stoke animation studio Carse & Waterman, it will be used to front events on Staffordshire Day's 10th anniversary on 1 May.

Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) wants to position the county as the nation's playground, and the mascot is described as a "brilliant symbol of the pride people feel in Staffordshire".

A public art trail, made up of large-scale Staffy sculptures across Stoke, Stafford and Tamworth is set to launch on 1 May.

The 'Staffy Trail' sculptures will be designed by local artists, inspired by ideas from school children, with organisers looking for businesses to sponsor them.

"Staffy gives us a fun and friendly way to show the country why Staffordshire is the nation's playground, " said Arthur Barnard, chair of the LVEP.

"We're home to some of the biggest and best attractions in the UK, and our location makes us a natural gateway between major cities and airports."

"Staffy brings all of this together and will inspire more people to get out and explore," Barnard added.

The mascot is part of a three-year plan to boost the county's tourism economy, which the LVEP said was now worth more than £2.7 billion.

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