Shropshire firm unveils Team GB Olympic Games bear

Meet the latest addition to Olympic Team GB. This £85 cuddly bear made of white mohair wool is hoping to beat off the competition and become a real collector's item.

It has been made by Ironbridge-based Merrythought – and is only one of 5,000 being created to mark the 2012 London Olympic Games. The patriotic bear features the Team GB logo, a hand-stitched nose and a satin ribbon.

A spokesman for Merrythought said: "It is a real heirloom of the future.

"The bears are numbered individually from one to 5,000 and presented in a bespoke, British-made, black and gold box."

Merrythought, just a few miles from the spiritual home of the Olympics in Much Wenlock, says the Team GB bear is the latest addition to its range commemorating the Games. The range also includes the London 2012 Olympic Teddy which features the Union Jack logo. Merrythought has also produced the London 2012 Paralympic Games commemorative bear.

The company has been making traditional English teddy bears for more than 80 years and is the last soft toy factory of its kind still operating in Britain.

The Team GB Teddy Bear is available to buy online at www.london2012.com/shop, John Lewis, and other retailers.