She is 20ft tall and is strikingly dressed in a colourful outfit - meet Belle, the Canterbury giant.

She was welcomed to the city by a parade from the Marlowe Theatre to Whitefriars Square for her awakening and naming ceremony on Saturday.

Cllr Harry Cragg was among those gathered in the city centre to greet the giant for her first outing.

He said: “She brings colour to the city and will of course represent Canterbury at various events.

“I think Strange Cargo, the arts group which created the giant, has done a brilliant job.”

Diane Dever, of Strange Cargo, said: “The youngsters who helped us make it wanted to include the Cathedral and to reflect that Canterbury is a place they can come to, hang out and express themselves.

“We’ve really enjoyed working with everyone on this project and I hope the people of Canterbury are proud of what we’ve done.”

The giant was accompanied by bhangra drummers who intensified their beat as she reached the Whitefriars.

Street entertainers also kept people amused at points around the city centre.