Bank of England shortlists 18 species for next banknotes

Eighteen animals, birds and insects have been shortlisted to appear on future Bank of England notes, and the public can vote on which species make the cut.

The shortlist gives the common kingfisher and the common frog an equal chance of appearing on the next £5, £10, £20 and £50 notes. A panel of wildlife experts chose the candidates, and household pets were excluded. Voters can select up to six species from the list but cannot add their own suggestions.

The public vote runs until the end of 3 July. People can choose up to two favourites from each of three groups. The mammals are the bottlenose dolphin, the brown hare, the European hedgehog, the grey seal, the pine marten and the red fox. The birds are the Atlantic puffin, the barn owl, the common kingfisher, the Eurasian curlew, the great spotted woodpecker and the white-tailed eagle. The amphibians, insects and fish are the Atlantic salmon, the basking shark, the buff-tailed bumblebee, the common frog, the Emperor dragonfly and the marsh fritillary butterfly.

The panel included wildlife filmmakers and presenters Gordon Buchanan, Miranda Krestovnikoff and Nadeem Perera, along with Ulster Wildlife's Katy Bell and academics Steve Ormerod and Dawn Scott. Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey will make the final decision and is not required to pick the four species with the most votes.

The new notes will still carry a portrait of the monarch and images representing the home nations. For the first time since 1970, the reverse side will not feature historical figures. Current notes show Sir Winston Churchill on the £5, Jane Austen on the £10, JMW Turner on the £20 and Alan Turing on the £50.

The change drew criticism earlier this year. Reform leader Nigel Farage objected to replacing Churchill with wildlife. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said the timing was poor given the war in Europe. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called the move "a silly thing to do." The Bank said the redesign is intended to deter counterfeiting.

Churchill's granddaughter, Emma Soames, told the BBC she had not expected the image of her grandfather to remain on the £5 note indefinitely. She said a suitable replacement should be "a very brave and courageous animal."