THE Black Country Living Museum is flying the flag for the region by launching a competition to design an official Black Country flag.

The winning flag will be added to the Flag Institute's UK Flag Registry and will be flown at the Tipton Road attraction in time for the Olympic celebrations later in the year.

Bosses are hoping arty residents, young and old, can design a flag which highlights the region’s unique identity and diverse heritage.

Philip Tibbetts, from Halesowen, who is also Advisor to the Parliamentary Flags and Heraldry Committee, said: "I am really pleased to see the Black Country Living Museum championing the whole region with this competition and I know this will ensure the best result. Seeing the flag flying will be a dream come true and I can't wait to use it to show my pride whether at home or abroad. I can just imagine it being used on packs of scratchings, bottles of ale or car registration plates just like how the Cornish flag is used".

The competition deadline is Sunday June 10 and entry forms and a full list of guidelines are available online and from the museum's admission desk.

Designs will be judged by a panel of experts, before the top six will be put to a public vote from June 18 – July 6, with the winner announced on July 14.

The winner and the five runners up will all receive prize money and one year's free membership to the museum.