A flock of six giant "Shaun the Sheep" animated characters were unveiled in London on Friday ahead of twin public arts trails set to run in the capital and Bristol next year.
The 5ft-tall versions of the Aardman Animations character made famous by the "Wallace and Gromit" films are the first of 120 figures which will be decorated by celebrities, designers and artists to raise money for sick children.
The "Shaun In The City" trail will run for eight weeks in various central London locations from March next year before a similar one from July in Bristol, each showcasing 60 giant Shaun sculptures.
The figures will then go on display to the general public in autumn 2015 prior to a grand auction to raise money for children in hospitals across Britain.
The character's creator Nick Park, who is closely involved with the project and will design one of the sculptures himself, was in Westminster's Parliament Square on Friday to unveil the giant painted sheep.
"The 'Shaun In The City' trail means so much to me," Park said.
"This opportunity to bring an arts trail to life with Gromit's pal Shaun the Sheep is baa-rilliant. Shaun is such a well-loved character with fans all over the world.
"I am particularly looking forward to working with so many talented artists and seeing how they will use Shaun as their canvas."
Visitors from across the world are expected to visit the cities for the spectacle, which coincides with the Chinese Year of the Sheep and the release of the "Shaun The Sheep" animated film based on the current television series.
More than a million people took part in a similar "Gromit Unleashed" trail last summer, while an auction of the sculptures from the trail raised £2.3 million for Bristol Royal Hospital for Children.
Wallace and Gromit's Children's Charity, a national charity raising money to support and improve the lives of children in hospitals and hospices, will benefit directly from the funds raised by the auctioning of the sheep.
The charity to date has awarded around £2 million through more than 200 grants to children's hospitals and hospices nationwide.
Source: AFP