Simply Santastic!

WITH dancing mice, Santa drummers, an extra large Yeti and a snow queen, Manchester's annual Christmas Parade brought a festive spectacular to the city centre streets yesterday.

- DIANNE BOURNE

Watched by a crowd of thousands, this year's free event featured 400 dancing and singing participants in what is thought to now be the UK's biggest Christmas parade.

And with an extended route this year, there was even more space for a crowd of tens of thousands to pack the streets to cheer on the magical parade. It featured everything from larger-than-life dancing toys, an owl, fox and polar bear weaving through the crowds.