Giant giraffes are taster for City of Culture 2025

The giraffes in Bradford are part of a performace by a French street theatre company

People in Bradford have been given a taste of what to expect during its City of Culture year in 2025.

Bradford is preparing for 12 months in the limelight, and to get people in the mood, several 26ft (8m) high giraffe puppets took to the city's streets.

As part of the "Les Girafes" event, created by a French street theatre company, the puppets were spotted at Ikley's Cow and Calf Rocks and Manningham Library.

Shanaz Gulzar, creative director of Bradford 2025, said: "It's the lead-up to the year of culture and I want to give our audiences a sense of what's coming next year."

Ms Gulzar added that she hoped the giraffes would bring "a little bit of joy, a little bit of spectacle, a little bit of fun - we all need that in our lives".

Shanaz Gulzar, creative director of Bradford 2025, said it gives a sense of what's coming next year

Phillippe Fresion, artistic director at French Compagnie OFF, the theatre company behind "Les Girafes", said: "It's a kind of fairy tale in the parade.

"You feel like a kid, you know? You are in a dream."

Marjorie Hodgkinson, a volunteer at Bradford 2025, said events like the visit of "Les Girafes" to the city were "exciting".

"Bradford has had nothing for long enough, and now it might bring everyone together and have a bit of fun," she said.

The giraffe puppets are due to take to the streets again on Saturday 24 August.

They are expected to visit Bradford city centre between 16:00-17:00 BST for a free event.

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.