Bonfire celebrations lit up the Sussex sky as thousands celebrated the 400th anniversary of the gunpowder plot.

More than 65,000 people packed into Lewes to watch processions, lit by flaming torches, squeeze down the narrow streets.

The town's five main bonfire societies were joined by others from around the county for a blaze of fire and burning barrels.

A 20ft effigy of Home Secretary Charles Clarke with the scales of justice in one hand and an ID stamp in the other was wheeled through the town before being blown up.

It was the highlight of a spectacular evening of revelry which included burning crosses and people dressed as smugglers, vikings, Zulus, wolves and Red Indians marching to brass and steel bands.

The 400th anniversary and the fact that November 5 fell on a Saturday drew 30,000 more people than last year.

The effigy of Charles Clarke was made by the Cliffe Bonfire Society, which chose the minister as its public enemy number one because of the Government's proposals to introduce ID cards.

Other enemies included the Pope, who took his usual place in the festivities.

An effigy of the Pontiff holding a staff and sitting in a throne was wheeled to Cliffe's ticket-only site where hundreds gathered to watch him burn.

Waterloo Bonfire Society wheeled out an effigy of Ghengis Khan with a decapitated head in his left hand and two others by his feet.

Lewes Borough Bonfire Society paraded Churchill the dog adorned with a Union Jack on its face and the slogans "Stop terrorists having a blast" and "Terrorist warning. The Mutts Nutts".

Whenever one of the many effigies of Guy Fawkes was paraded through the streets, roars of "burn him" came from the excited crowds.

Commercial Square Bonfire Society created a giant caricature of Lord Nelson to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar.

Unlike most of the effigies, Nelson was greeted with a flood of cheers as he was wheeled along wearing a red sash across its torso and Admiral's headgear.

Dressed as Elvis Presley in a dazzling white suit, one member of Commercial Square Bonfire Society set fire to a white guitar with Chinese firecrackers for frets in front of an ecstatic audience, which watched with sheer delight as the instrument blew up.

Other attractions included rolling tar barrels, a Gurkha band and wreath- laying at the war memorial.

Although people were dissuaded from travelling to Lewes amid fears of dangerous crowd congestion, thousands ignored the warnings to share in the celebrations.

By 5pm the streets were crammed and police were telling people to stay on the pavements to allow the processions to pass safely.

People craned their necks to catch a glimpse of the processions, with many others scaling traffic lights or watching through windows and from balconies.

All five societies, which included South Street, put on a spectacular display to commemorate Guy Fawkes' 1605 plot and the Protestant martyrs burnt outside the Star Inn in Lewes in the 16th Century.

Shirley French, 58, from Lewes, at the event with her husband and four friends, said: "I really enjoy the spectacle and tradition of Lewes Bonfire and it must not be allowed to die.

"It's absolutely barking mad but something that is in Lewes people's blood."

Hilary Botting, 36, who dressed as an American Civil War Confederate for the Commercial Square procession, said: "This has been the best year ever.

"The fact it is our society's 150th anniversary makes it even more special."

Other torchlight processions took place at Battle and Lindfield, and there was a grand fireworks display at Thomas a Becket Middle School, Worthing.