A TRADITIONAL lion dance to celebrate the start of the Chinese New Year was held in Chepstow.

More than 100 people gathered in St Mary Street on Sunday afternoon to watch the colourful and noisy performance to announce the beginning of the Year of the Rooster.

The annual event is organised by Kevin Ong of the Shangri-la Chinese restaurant in St Mary Street who said it had been very successful.

Fortune cookies were distributed to the crowd and a collection taken in aid of the British Red Cross which raised more than £300.

The spectacle was performed by Qing Yi lions dancers with red and yellow ’lions’ accompanied by musicians.

Mr Ong said: “This is our ninth year of the lion dance – we missed out last year because my wife was pregnant with our son.

“It was the most people we have had at the dance.”