AFTER being beaten by the elements at the weekend, a French circus performer completed the UK's highest tightrope walk yesterday.

Olivier Roustan, 45, had been due to walk a tightrope connected between two arms on the Newport City Footbridge on Sunday, but blustery winds meant organisers had to postpone.

But the show must go on and Mr Roustan, who works for a circus school in Paris, was back at the bridge yesterday and ready to get a glimpse of Newport from a vantage point few others had seen.

Cheered on by around 800 people both sides of the river Usk, Mr Roustan was winched up 76 metres or 249ft to the tightrope.

Just after 4pm, and holding a balancing pole weighing 25kg, the native of Albi, France, took his first tentative steps along what would prove to be the highest walk he's ever done.

There were none of the weather problems experienced on Sunday and save for once gust just before he started, the winds died down almost completely.

Less than eight minutes later, Mr Roustan had walked 90 metres or 295ft, to reach the other side, to a huge ovation from the gathered masses.

Ever the showman, he waved and blew kisses to the crowd for atop his perch and on the winch down.

Mr Roustan said: "The public deserve something a little magical, they were superb and I want to thank them for being present today, I hope to see Newport another time."