A giant puppet of a ten year-old Syrian girl has come to Brighton as part of an international tour to highlight the refugee crisis.

Little Amal, which is 11ft tall, walked along Brighton beach at the basketball courts watched by more than 1,000 people this evening.

The puppet originally hit headlines after travelling from the Turkish-Syrian border to Manchester last year but has now walked 9,000 km.

The mood was quiet as people watched Amal interact with people from the crowd.

The Argus: Little Amal interacted with the crowdLittle Amal interacted with the crowd (Image: PA)

Artistic director Amir Nazir said: “The whole project stems from the idea that refugees are thought of as a problem, when actually they’re not, they’re potential.

“By walking with Amal through cities and through communities, creating a big art spectacle and creating big moments where the community can gather and think of itself and how it receives others, proves the case that refugees shouldn’t be regarded as a burden.

“The awareness to the plight of refugees is always crucial.”

David Lan, producer of Little Amal, said: "We're here because of the fact there are so many young refugees who are here in limbo and waiting for a life.

"We thought Amal might like come to meet people.

"She is an amazing piece of work."

Little Amal has travelled over 9,000km to 13 countries so far.