Thousands enjoy 'magical' Manchester Christmas Parade

Thousands of people have enjoyed a "magical" Christmas parade in Manchester, the city council has said.

More than 400 participants weaved their way through Christmas shoppers as the festivities brought some colour and cheer to the city centre on Sunday.

Manchester City Council said it was the second time such a parade had been held and it had now "become a fixture in the city's seasonal calendar".

Councillor Pat Karney said it had been "heartwarming and magical".

"Seeing the laughter and joy on the youngsters' faces as they watched it was simply brilliant and made it all worthwhile," he said.

A council representative said the parade had been "filled with a Christmas stocking-full of magical moments" and had included "snow queens, glitter belles, bouncing elves, dancing snowmen and candy cane stilt walkers... alongside reindeer, owls, festive dinosaurs and even dancing sprouts".

It also featured a life-size Bengal tiger puppet, taken from the upcoming stage production of The Life of Pi at Salford's Lowry Theatre, and an appearance from Father Christmas.

The city has also been playing host to its annual Christmas markets.

The council representative said this year "marks a special year for the UK's capital of Christmas as it was exactly 25 Christmases ago that Manchester's first-ever Christmas market took place".

"A quarter of a century later, the markets continue to attract Mancunians and visitors alike to the city in their thousands to fill up on the fantastic festive treats on offer," they added.

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