A NEWPORT shopping centre was taken over by eye-catching dragons of all colours and designs at the launch of the city’s SuperDragons.

The artists behind the 60 5ft dragons got together to celebrate their work and discuss the challenges they faced at Kingsway Shopping Centre on Wednesday evening.

The SuperDragons, along with 49 mini dragons designed by primary schools, will next week form a trail around Newport’s tourist hotspots - until October, when they will be auctioned off for Tenovus and Born Free charities.

Hayley Acreman, 25, an illustrator from Newport, was inspired by King Arthur’s connections with Caerleon to paint 14 images telling his life-story on her dragon, called Pen Draig.

She worked on her dragon at the Celtic Manor Resort during the Welsh Open and enjoyed having an audience to watch her progress.

She said: “When I saw the dragons I knew straight away that I wanted to do one.

“It’s been an interesting project and a good way to get the community together.”

Animator Tom Brown, 25, designed two SuperDragons - one inspired by the Newport Wetlands and another a wipe-clean chalk-board design, which will enable customers at Asda’s Pill store to colour the scales in each day.

He said: “I’ve enjoyed it and I think it’s a good way to get people out into Newport to see different places.”

Among the other designs were a flashing coloured-lights dragon, orange Newport County dragon to celebrate the football club’s league-title win last season and one made out of recycled materials, including sweet wrappers and drink cans, by pupils at Llanmartin Primary School.