Locals have been left stunned by the arrival of a giant baby doll puppet in the middle of their town centre.
The 27ft figure, called Lilly, has suddenly sprung up in Rochdale town centre – but its imposing presence has stirred up controversy.
The giant baby has been described as ‘creepy’ and the ‘ugliest baby I’ve ever seen’ by those walking past.
The large figure is part of a council project to encourage schoolchildren to speak about the important of the environment.
Those conversations have been recorded and will be played from the baby’s mouth when it is relocated to Hollingworth Lake Nature park next month.
Locals have been left stunned by the arrival of a giant baby doll puppet in the middle of their town centre.
The 27ft figure, called Lilly, has suddenly sprung up in Rochdale town centre – but its imposing presence has stirred up controversy
While the intention might be a positive one, some in the town have been left feeling unsettled by the scale of the baby, whose eyes are half shut.
One passerby told BBC Radio Manchester they had ‘never seen anything like this in Rochdale before’, while another likened it to a character out of the 1990 sci-fi comedy Honey I Shrunk the Kids.
‘I came around the corner and I thought, ‘It’s just creepy with its eyes shut, never mind open’,’ they said.
Schoolchildren have been invited to speak to the baby about their plans for looking after nature and animals when they are older.
The recordings will then be played back on October 29 as part of a three-day Wild Wanders event, which is an outdoor environmental arts festival organised by Rochdale Council.
Schoolchildren have been invited to speak to the baby about their plans for looking after nature and animals when they are older
Footage of the giant baby has been posted by the council on Facebook, with social media users left divided.
One said it was a ‘scary waste of money’, while another wrote: ‘I just spotted this on scooter this morning wondering what it is doing there. Does look scary.’
Another mother posted: ‘I will not be taken my daughter down there too see it, it will scare her.’
But others were critical of the backlash the baby was getting, with one commenting: ‘Why would anyone be terrified?’
