The existence of fairies has long been dismissed and resigned to the realm of children’s books and Disney films.

However Manchester Metropolitan University lecturer John Hyatt claims he now has proof the creatures are real and are residing in the Rossendale Valley.

And he is on a mission to get more adults to believe and ‘bring a bit of magic into their lives.’

Pictured: Parents around the world thank professor who photographed fairies, and swamp him with new images

John Hyatt, Director of Manchester Institute for Research and Innovation in Art and Design (MIRIAD) at Manchester Metropolitan University snapped images of what he claims are the tiny winged creatures whilst out photographing the Lancashire landscape over the last two years.

And he has now put his photographs on display at a special exhibition.

John, 53, who was a member of the Three Johns punk band in the 1980s and 1990s insists his photos are genuine and have not been altered in any way.

And he says adults that have seen them have begun to harbour ideas that they may indeed be real.

He said: “It was a bit of a shock when I blew them up, I did a double take.

“I went out afterwards and took pictures of flies and gnats and they just don’t look the same.

“People can decide for themselves what they are.

“The message to people is to approach them with an open mind.

“I think it’s one of those situations where you need to believe to see.

“A lot of people who have seen them say they have brought a little bit of magic into their lives and there’s not enough of that around.”

John, who lives Rawtenstall, has posted some of his images on social media and says they have attracted much debate.

The exhibition, called Rossendale Fairies, will be on show at The Whitaker Museum in Whitaker Park in Rossendale, throughout the spring.

John said the name is a nod to the famous story of the Cottingley fairies where two schoolgirls in Bradford claimed to have photographed fairies in their garden, which they confirmed 60 years later had been faked with cardboard cut-outs.

However he admits the creatures he snapped are a long way from the characters depicted in children’s stories and hopes his pictures will change people’s perceptions of them.

“Everything gets stereotyped, whatever it is.

“But there are stranger things in life than fairies, and life grows everywhere.

“I don’t believe they are just smaller versions of us and go home and have a cup of tea at the end of the day.

“And one is suggesting they have any special powers.

“From my experience they were just enjoying themselves and there was a little dance in the sunlight going on.

“They are just beautiful pictures and beauty can make people believe.”