CHINESE New Year always goes off with a bang, but for one Somerset business the celebrations will go long into the night.

Skyburst Firework Company has been hired by the Mayor of Liuyang – widely regarded as the firework capital of the world – to provide rockets for the annual celebrations later this month.

The company, based in Upper Langford, has worked at many of the South West’s biggest events over the years, including the Bristol Balloon Fiesta and Bridgwater Carnival, but the Chinese invite is its biggest event to date.

Alan Christie, managing director, said: “It is a huge honour to have been asked by the mayor of Liuyang, which is the largest manufacturing base for fireworks in the world, to create a display for their celebrations.

“We travel to the region regularly because they have the best firework products on offer and we buy them for displays back in the UK.

“It was on one of these trips that we were asked and we’ve been working on creating a spectacular display for them ever since.

“While China has the best quality and variety of firework products, we are experts at putting those fireworks in a display.

“Our technology and pyrodigital software means we can create magnificent, complex effects and time our shows to music.

“Our techniques are cutting edge so we’re very excited to be representing the UK over there.”

Despite the pressure of bringing the Chinese New Year celebrations to an end with a spectacular display, he is ambitiously looking ahead to the rest of 2012. He said: “While we are in Liuyang we plan to source new material suitable for Diamond Jubilee displays later in the year. Firework products, red, white and blue fireworks and sparkling diamond effects are all on the shopping list.”