A STRIKING musical monster marched through Bicester's town centre with the help of a class-load of youngsters celebrating Chinese New Year.

The pitter-patter of little feet from St Mary's Catholic School could just be seen beneath the colourful Chinese dragon as it paraded through Pioneer Square last Friday.

The early years students at the school off Queens Avenue made the dragon as part of a Chinese New Year project.

Four-year-old pupil Jasmine Phillimore said: "I liked doing the glitter best. We also used lots of colours - including purple, red and gold.".

Crowds gathered to watch the youngster parade the flame-breathing beast and posed for pictures.

Headteacher Glynnis Eastwood added: "We have been studying the Chinese New Year over the last two weeks, looking at Chinese writing and we will be making fortune cookies.

"The children have made and decorated a dragon to march through town and took along musical instruments such as drums and bells to make a bit of a noise in Pioneer Square.

"The children marched up, with one child wearing the head and the rest as part of the body which was decorated in shapes and shed load of glitter."