Tails of the UK dragons

FIRE-breathing lizards are so hot right now. It’s all thanks to new movie How To Train Your Dragon, a live-action remake of the 2010 animation, due out at cinemas on Friday. But here in Britain, the scaly beasts have always had a special place in our hearts. MEG JORSH takes a ★ look at some home-grown dragon legends...

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Red alert: The fearsome red dragon on the Welsh flag has its roots in regional mythology.

According to legend, 5th Century warlord Vortigern tried to build a castle at Dinas Emrys in Snowdonia. His men dug into the hillside and discovered an under-ground lake, where two dragons - one red and one white - started fighting. When the white beast was defeated a young wizard, thought to have been Merlin, revealed it represented foreign armies invading the country.