New Zealand police perform Bollywood-inspired dance at Diwali Festival in Christchurch

A group of police officers in New Zealand have been filmed performing a Bollywood-inspired dance on stage at a festival.

The Canterbury Police officers showed off their best moves as part of the Diwali Festival, or the Festival of Lights, in Christchurch on Saturday.

At the start of the dance, police tape with the words "Police Line Do Not Cross" was superimposed onto the big screen behind the stage.

While one officer stands in the centre of the stage and introduces the dance with flamboyant arm gestures, two officers join him from each side of the stage.

The group of five are seen shaking their hips in time to the music and getting into the spirit of the dance on stage, trying their hand at the traditional Bollywood moves.

People in the crowd at Horncastle Arena can be heard cheering and clapping along with the music.

The five-day annual festival is one of the major festival of Hinduism and is celebrated around the world.

It spiritually signifies the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, knowledge over ignorance and hope over despair.

Diwali celebrations often include firework displays, food stalls with assorted Diwali sweets, savories and herbs, dancing and musical performances and stalls offering henna paintings and people burning the effigy of the demon king Ravana.