What do you think of new council symbol?

This is the new emblem which has been adopted by Shrewsbury's new town council. What do you think of it?

The design was delayed last year as a debate raged because nobody was sure what species of big cat should appear on it.

Shrewsbury's heraldic coat of arms features three loggerheads – heraldic leopards – but over the last 200 years the crest has appeared with both lions and leopards.

However, bosses at Shrewsbury Town Council have eventually decided to go with the loggerheads following advice from heraldic experts.

The crest will be used at council meetings and printed on stationery, official vehicles and documents.

Acting council clerk Mike Croston said it featured the leopards, unlike the old Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council logo which used lions.

He said: "I know the advice from The College of Arms in London was that the earliest record was leopards, although it was never really conclusive and it seems to have fluctuated with loggerheads and lions.

"But we went with the earliest record, which was the leopards."

Mr Croston said the logo was produced by a designer in Birmingham.

Robert Noel, of The College of Arms, investigated the case last year using ancient manuscripts.

He said armorists still debated to this day whether the animals in the original arms of England were meant to be lions or leopards.

But he said in Shrewsbury's case the evidence appeared to point towards the leopards.

In order to use the heraldic arms on a logo, the council had to acquire a Royal Licence which caused the delay in the design of the crest.