GIANT marionettes are back on the streets of Liverpool - two years after their last visit to the city.

The huge figures began the three-day commemoration of World War One at about 10.30am.

About 30,000 people saw one of the characters lying as if asleep ahead of the event from Wednesday.

Crowds queued for more than an hour to see the 25ft marionette at St George's Hall.

Another of the figures, Little Girl Giant, "woke up" at 10.30am and walk through the city with her dog Xolo.

Their route is from Queensway Tunnel, through the city centre to the Chinese Arch by 1pm for a siesta.

Thirty minutes later the Grandma Giant will leave St George's Hall for a waterfront walk, arriving at Salthouse Dock for 1.30pm.

The giants will be rested until late afternoon.

Grandma Giant will start off again at 4.30pm for a stroll from the Albert Dock and along the waterfront, before heading up Brownlow Hill and Mount Pleasant past the Roman Catholic Cathedral up to Edge Hill and Kensington, eventually arriving at Newsham Park by 7.30pm.

Little Girl Giant and Xolo leave the Chinese Arch at 5pm to go through Canning Street past Falkner Square, past the Anglican Cathedral and into Edge Hill, arriving at Newsham Park by 19:00.

Royal de Luxe, the French street theatre company behind the spectacle, said the figures would cover 30 miles in total over the weekend.

Hundreds of thousands of people saw the last Giants event in 2012, which commemorated the sinking of the Titanic.

This year's event, running until Sunday, will end with the three giants parading around the Three Graces and sailing away on the River Mersey.