In Pictures: Revellers enjoy Carnival street parades across Germany

A carnival float depicts Russia’s President Vladimir Putin taking a blood bath during the traditional carnival parade in Duesseldorf, Germany (Martin Meissner/AP)

Hundreds of thousands of revellers have taken to the streets across Germany to celebrate Carnival – dressed up in colourful costumes amid an abundance of sweets, flowers and alcohol.

Popular street parades in traditional Carnival strongholds such as Duesseldorf, Cologne and Mainz in the Rhineland drew huge crowds of locals and tourists alike.