GCHQ in Cheltenham has created its toughest puzzle challenge ever in honour of Alan Turing, who will appear on the new £50 note from June 23.

Officials from the intelligence organisation claim the collection of 12 puzzles could have left Turing scratching his head, after the Bank of England revealed the mathematician would feature on the new note’s design.

Mr Turing, played by Benedict Cumberbatch in the academy award-winning The Imitation Game, was a scientist and cryptanalyst who decrypted German intelligence messages disguised by the Enigma Code for the British government from Bletchley Park – GCHQ’s wartime location.

“Alan Turing’s appearance on the £50 note is a landmark moment in our history,” said director of the cyber and intelligence agency Jeremy Fleming.

“Not only is it a celebration of his scientific genius, which helped to shorten the war and influence the technology we still use today, it also confirms his status as one of the most iconic LGBT+ figures in the world.

“Turing was embraced for his brilliance and persecuted for being gay.

“His legacy is a reminder of the value of embracing all aspects of diversity, but also the work we still need to do to become truly inclusive.”

GCHQ’s puzzles are based on elements of the new banknote, such as the technical drawings for the British Bombe, the machine designed by Mr Turing to break Enigma-enciphered messages.

Mr Turing’s great-nephew, James Turing, described the puzzle as a “wonderful tribute” which his family would be attempting to complete themselves.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I think it’s a wonderful recognition, and a bit reminiscent of the famous crossword that they used for recruiting at Bletchley Park back in the day “So, a wonderful tribute and certainly something we’ll be having a go at shortly.

GCHQ officials said the full challenge could take an experienced puzzler seven hours to complete.

Colin, a GCHQ analyst and its chief puzzler, said: “Alan Turing has inspired many recruits over the years to join GCHQ, eager to use their own problem-solving skills to help to keep the country safe.

“So it seemed only fitting to gather a mix of minds from across our missions to devise a seriously tough puzzle to honour his commemoration on the new £50 note.

“It might even have left him scratching his head – although we very much doubt it.”

Mr Turing joined the Government Code & Cypher School – GCHQ’s wartime name – in 1938 to help with the code-breaking effort during the Second World War.

In January 1940, Mr Turing had a meeting in Paris with Polish counterparts, who gave him the insights he needed to design the Bombe.

The combination of the Bombe and the brilliant minds and perseverance of those working at Bletchley Park led to the breaking of Enigma.

In January 1952, Mr Turing was prosecuted for “indecency” over his relationship with another man in Manchester, and was given a choice between imprisonment and probation on condition of undergoing hormone treatment.

In 1954, Mr Turing took his own life.