Essex has been transformed into ‘Essos’ to celebrate the legacy of HBO’s hit TV show Game of Thrones.

As part of the transformation, a sign declaring the county as "Essos" has been unveiled outside Colchester Castle.

The Game of Thrones comes as three other parts of the country have been renamed to mark last night's highly-anticipated finale, with Covent Garden (Highgarden), Blackpool (Castle Black-pool) and Doune Castle in Stirlingshire (Winterfell) also pledging allegiance to Westeros.

It is hoped the stunt will help boost the local tourist economy by enticing visitors nationwide.

Lisa Bone, from Visit Essex, said: "Visit Essex is so excited and proud to be linked with one of the biggest shows ever in history.

"We have fully embraced the Game of Thrones takeover of Essex, now named Essos and to have a visible connection to the show outside one of our most iconic attractions, Colchester Castle in Britain's first city, is a huge opportunity.

"We look forward to welcoming visitors from far and wide to see it!"

The sign will be available for visit for a short time, with fans across the country encouraged to post a selfie with it using the #GoTTakeover.