Death at Fatboy Slim's beach party

A man died of a heart attack and a woman was taken to hospital, critically ill, after a quarter of a million people crammed the English seaside town of Brighton for an open-air party hosted by superstar DJ Fatboy Slim.

The fatality and a number of injuries occurred as fans packed on to the beach and promenade between Brighton's two piers on Saturday, forcing ambulance crews to take to lifeboats to rescue casualties.

The free event, called the Big Beach Boutique, had been expected to attract just 60,000 people.

A man in his 40s died on the beach after suffering a heart attack, while a 26-year-old woman remains critically injured after she fell from railings on to the lower esplanade.

A spokesman for the Royal Sussex County Hospital described the situation following the event as "a nightmare", and said resources were stretched to deal with 90 casualties.

Thousands of people were left stranded in Brighton for hours overnight, roads were blocked and there were chaotic scenes at the city's railway station.

The Big Beach Boutique concert had been billed as Europe's biggest free beach party. Fatboy Slim spent £100,000 ($320,000) of his own money supporting the event after a major sponsor pulled out.

But the huge crowd almost overwhelmed emergency services. Sussex Ambulance Service said the size of the crowd meant it had to call in Brighton's lifeboat crew to ferry revellers in need of medical attention to Brighton Marina.

The service said it was easier to travel by water than to get an ambulance through the tens of thousands of revellers.

Other concert-goers were treated for minor problems such as crushing, though a police spokesman said some of the casualties were victims of assaults which were "mostly the effects of high spirits".

Police chiefs and council leaders are now planning talks about how the event became so massive.

Fatboy Slim - aka Norman Cook - promised extra funds to pay for the clean-up operation.

- AGENCIES