Thousands of mods and rockers sparked memories of the Sixties when they packed Brighton seafront.

About 40,000 riders are thought to have taken part in this year's Ride With The Rockers reunion and lines of motorbikes and scooters lined Madeira Drive during the event.

Scores of onlookers turned out to watch the spectacle, which recreated scenes from 40 years ago when the two sides clashed in street battles, wreaking havoc in Brighton.

Mods and rockers proved they were no longer arch rivals since the now mature riders kissed and made up, with mods were warmly welcomed to the gathering.

The gleaming machines arrived in droves from 10am on Sunday morning.

Madeira Drive was soon full and the bikes and scooters stretched along the sea beyond the Brighton Centre towards Hove.

Dave Hammond, 51, of Willingdon Road, Eastbourne, rode down from London with the rockers.

He bought his first leather jacket and a 150cc Royal Enfield motorbike aged 16 and has not looked back.

He said: "It was a wonderful day. The weather could not have been better. Having everyone there together really took you back.

"I met a fellow rocker who I hadn't seen in 30 years. We used to ride together in Woking in the Seventies.

"I also bumped into an old neighbour from Stoke - rockers come from all over the country and beyond.

"There were so many bikes they had to close off Madeira Drive.

"A rocker from Poland was causing merry hell as they wouldn't let him in and he had to park his bike up on Marine Parade."

Mr Hammond has been coming to Brighton since he was a teenager.

He said: "Brighton was the main place to go. The first time I went down was with two other rockers. We went by train, got out and saw 200 mods so immediately got back on and went home."

These days, however, it is quite different.

He said: "There were a lot more mods this year than usual.

"I think they must trust us more now. Either that or their scooter maintenance has got better and more can get down here."

Ride with the Rockers was first held in 1994 to celebrate the Ace Cafe in London, a favourite rockers' haunt since the Forties.

Organiser Mike Wilsmore said: "We had more bikes than usual this year.

"Around 10,000 met in London and usually this number triples along the way.

"However, this year we must have had at least 40,000 to 50,000. It's been getting bigger and bigger each year. There were about 3,000 rockers from Europe.

"There were displays, rock 'n' roll music, club stands and stalls and a record amount of money was collected for our charity, the Royal Air Force Association."