Wales Coastal Path veterans fund relay starts in Cardiff

The walkers carry a silver baton with the names of fallen Welsh Guards

More than 100 people have begun an 870-mile relay around the coast of Wales to raise money for service veterans.

They were carrying a silver baton engraved with the names of 50 Welsh Guards killed since World War II.

The walkers included the two sons of Sgt Cliff Elley, of Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taf, who died on the Sir Galahad during the Falklands War, aged 30.

The walk's aim is to raise a £1m fund for soldiers back from Afghanistan and other veterans in Wales.

The first day of the charity event saw the group leave from the steps of the Senedd on Sunday afternoon and walk a route a little over nine miles (15km) to Peterston Wentlooge, Newport.

The ceremony included music from the Treorchy Male Voice Choir and the walkers being played out by City of Newport Pipes and Drums band.

In all, 11 teams plan to travel the anti-clockwise route around the Welsh coast until they arrive back in Cardiff in early November.

So far, more than 2,000 people have signed up for different parts of the walk.

The walk is raising money for the Welsh Guards Afghanistan Appeal and the Combat Stress charity and was the idea of two Welsh Guards veterans of the Falklands war, Jan Koops and Dai Graham.

The baton is due to arrive in Chepstow on 28 August for the next leg of the walk.