Revellers have seen a giant shark, a unicorn and white horses at the Devizes Christmas Festival’s lantern parade and tomorrow’s star attraction will be a life-size elephant.

It has been made by artists Mick and Chris Davey of Great Cheverell, Oliver Freeman of Etchilhampton and Michael Maxwell of Little Cheverell.

The 15ft high beast will have two of them inside operating the legs and one at the front manoeuvring the trunk.

Mr Davey said: “We are very pleased with it. Each year our lantern seems to get bigger.

“When we made the unicorn it was like being surrounded by paparazzi with about 30 cameras flashing away at us.”

Jo Beal, artistic director of the Christmas Festival, said: “The elephant lantern is so amazing. When I saw it I was so moved as it’s exquisitely made.”

Ms Beal also said pupils were putting the finishing touches to their lanterns with nearly 20 schools taking part.

The parade will leave St John’s Street at 6pm, led by the town band through the Market Place, on to New Park Street and The Wharf to collect Santa.

He will travel by sleigh back to the Bear Hotel in the Market Place, where he will go onto the balcony to switch on the Christmas lights at 6.45pm.

The festival is organised by Devizes Outdoor Celebratory Arts and there will be free parking in Wiltshire Council’s car parks in Devizes all day.

There will markets in the Market Place, The Shambles and Corn Exchange.

From 5pm to 5.45pm there will be carol singing by pupils from Wansdyke and St Joseph’s schools and the Sing Alive adult choir in The Brittox.

In the Market Place, Devizes school choir Devizes Harmony will entertain, followed by blues musician Benjy Clements.

Fire jugglers, Les Bicyclettes, will light up the front of the Bear Hotel until 5.50pm after which the Oi Sambistas band will signal the start of the parade.