Trafalgar Square lion to 'talk'

Visit London is breathing new life into Trafalgar Square's lion

The magic of animation is being employed to bring one of the famous lions in Trafalgar Square to life.

London tourism officials have arranged for one of the 141-year-old iconic statues to "talk" about the best that the city has to offer over Christmas.

Using both projection equipment and animation, the lion was "chatting" to passersby on Friday.

Highlights are expected to include promotion of the West End's traffic- free day on Saturday to lure shoppers.

Sally Chatterjee, of Visit London, said the festive period was special thanks to the West End lights, seasonal theatre and ice rinks.

"A talking lion in Trafalgar Square is a great way to bring to life the magic of the festive period in the capital," she said.

Specialised animation, projections and audio feed will enable the statue to come to life