Erosion shield for a wind turbine blade

An erosion shield for a wind turbine blade, the erosion shield having an external surface exposed at a leading edge of the wind turbine blade and comprising:

• a plurality of layers of erosion resistant material, said plurality of layers arranged in a stack from an outermost layer substantially forming said external surface to an innermost layer arranged to be attached to a leading edge of a wind turbine blade, said plurality of layers bonded to adjacent layers in the stack,
• wherein said plurality of layers of erosion resistant material have a cohesive strength or tensile strength greater than an adhesive strength or bond strength between adjacent or subsequent layers, such that at least a section of an outermost exposed layer will delaminate or peel from said erosion shield under the action of wind when at least a portion of said section of said outermost exposed layer has been eroded or ruptured, to present a relatively smooth external surface of said erosion shield.