Hundreds of people lined the streets, basking in the warm weather, to watch Brighton Carnival burst on to the streets.

The parade of music, dance, floats and costumes set off from Regent Street in the North Laine at 2.30pm yesterday, wending its way past the Jubilee Library and along New Road and North Street before heading to its seafront destination at Hove Lawns.

Organisers Same Sky went into schools to help with costumes and music.

Community groups and carnival lovers reclaimed the streets with people wearing colourful animal costumes and head-dresses.

Among the parade entries were the Brighton School of Samba and Monobloco from Rio de Janeiro, who gave the carnival a Brazilian vibe.

Felicity Abbott, 57, of Alfred Road, Brighton, watched as her seven-yearold granddaughter Rosie Jones strode along in the procession dressed as a colourful butterfly.

She said: "I stitched the costume, her dad made her wings and her mum did her face paints.

"It was a wonderful show, and you can see how hard people have worked to put this all together.

"Rosie has been so excited about it and I really felt proud to watch her bopping along."

Kelia Lewis, 22, of Oxford Street, Brighton, had come across the carnival by accident and decided to dance her way along the route beside a van pumping out drum and bass music.

She said: "It's absolutely brilliant - like the Notting Hill festival on a smaller scale.

"This sort of craziness is the reason I moved to Brighton."

The parade arrived at Hove Lawns at 4pm to join the Brighton Peace Picnic at which children's activities, food and films were all enjoyed until 7pm.