BEACONS are to be lit across Gwent tonight to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

The Lord Lieutenant of Gwent, Simon Boyle, will light the first of more than 40 beacons in the area at the Ridgeway, Newport.

The lighting of beacons forms part of the national celebration to mark the Queen's 60 years on the throne.

At the Lord Lieutenant's suggestion, friends, community groups, church congregations and local authorities have spent the past month preparing for tonight's event at 10pm.

It is thought there will be more than 4,000 beacons across the UK. Other beacons in Gwent will include the Llanover Community Council beacon at Little Skirrid above Abergavenny, attended by the High Sheriff of Gwent, Elizabeth Murray. The final beacon in the UK will be lit by the Queen herself at Buckingham Palace.

There will be beacons at:

Twmbarlwm (Twmbarlwm Society - Rob Southall)

Caldicot Castle(Royal British Legion - Bob Reid)

The Folly, Pontypool (Stephen Warman)

Caerphilly Common (Caerphilly County Borough Council)

Llancaiaich Fawr Manor, Nelson (Caerphilly County Borough Council)

The Domen, Ebbw Vale (Blaenau Gwent County Council)

Bedwellty Church (Rosie Dymond and congregation)

Sugarloaf Mountain, Abergavenny (Longtown Mountain Rescue Team)

The Blorenge (Abergavenny Town Council)

Little Skirrid, near Abergavenny) (Llanover Community Council)

Clytha Hill (David Morgan)

Great House Farm, Llansoy (Gwent Young Farmers)

The Kymin, Monmouth (Monmouth Scouts)

* Argus reporter Chris Wood will be tweeting live from tonight's event in Newport. Follow him on our live blog on southwalesargus.co.uk, or on @ArgusCWood on Twitter.