CHARACTERS from the Gruffalo will be brought to life for families visiting the Wyre Forest thanks to a new app.

In the first development of its kind, the Forestry Commission England and Magic Light Pictures have launched the Gruffalo Spotter - a new augmented reality app.

The app has been designed for exclusive use at 26 forests across England - including the Wyre Forest - where visitors can join the adventure through the deep, dark wood.

The trail will open at the Wyre Forest, near Bewdley, on Tuesday (February 21).

Families can follow clues on an interactive trail and track signs of their favourite characters based on the Gruffalo - the best-selling picture book written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler.

The self-led trail is packed with fun facts about forest animals with fantastic activities along the way. Once families have spotted the characters, they can use the app to bring the 3D character animation to life and take photos with them.

Their photos are automatically added to the device's gallery, from where it can be shared via social media with the hashtag #GruffaloSpotters.

The Gruffalo Spotter app has been developed and animated by Nexus Studios and is available for free with no in-app purchases from the App Store, Google Play and Amazon.

A Gruffalo Spotters kit will be available to buy on site and includes animal facts, tips for tracking wildlife, an evidence collection bag, a magnifying glass and a pencil to make a note of forest finds.

Chris Mansell, recreation manager at Wyre fore Forestry Commission England, said: "This is such an exciting development and will deliver a completely different forest experience for our visitors.

"The Gruffalo is a world renowned story and to be able to bring the characters to life in their natural setting is fantastic.

"It is great we have had the opportunity to join the two worlds of technology and nature together sensitively."

The app will launch from February 21, and the trail will run at the Wyre Forest until later this year.