Officers who policed Fatboy Slim's beach party may be in line for awards and even gallantry medals.

About 50 officers were swamped by 250,000 partygoers for most of the evening - one for every 5,000 - until reinforcements arrived from around the county and the Metropolitan Police Force.

They had to focus on public safety and ignore hundreds of crimes, including drug dealing, assaults, and having sex in public.

Some officers were chest deep in water as they pulled people from the sea.

Others saved individuals from being crushed and carried them to safety.

A handful locked arms to try to control a huge crowd surge. One officer was urinated on and others were spat at, punched and verbally abused, officers said.

Chief Superintendent Doug Rattray, head of Brighton and Hove police and in charge on the night, said: "Impressions have been made of police inactivity on the night but the reality is completely contrary.

"There was a small number of officers which was stretched to the limit and performed magnificently. They worked their socks off, preventing people from being crushed or drowned.

"I have received many reports of individual acts, of pulling children and people in wheelchairs out of dangerous situations."

A woman fell to the ground at the railway station just as hundreds of people ran on to the concourse. She was grabbed and dragged to safety.

Officers linked arms, stopping people climbing over trains and running on to live rail tracks.

Mr Rattray said there would be recommendations made for commendations and even higher awards to "properly recognise" the officers' efforts.

Inspector Kevin Claxton worked 16 hours at the scene, in charge of four teams of a sergeant and six officers. He said some observers thought only six arrests made it a good night but added: "I could have arrested 300 people myself. Law enforcement had to be set aside.

"All we could do was help people around us as best we could and keep them safe."

David Griffiths, chief executive of Sussex Ambulance Service NHS Trust, praised crews.

He said: "Staff worked tremendously hard on what was a very pressurised night."

The board is planning to write to all staff to thank them.

Party leaders will each be given two minutes to comment on the Fatboy Slim concert when Brighton and Hove City Council meets today.

The council agreed the four party leaders should make statements in response to calls for an emergency debate.

The Green Party had demanded a debate, saying the council had failed in its duty to protect public safety. Other parties said an emergency debate would be premature but backed an investigation by a council watchdog committee.