Thirty-two years ago thousands of hippies descended on a field just outside Worthing for a Glastonbury-style pop concert.

On a hot summer's weekend in 1970, thousands of long-haired teenagers came for the party of the year.

They gathered in a 65-acre field called Ecclesden Common, just south of the Fox pub between Patching and Angmering.

Some moved into surrounding woodland and built treehouses and wigwams.

Many smoked pot and engaged in free love, outraging local clergymen.

Hundreds of people from Worthing, who bought tickets from a shop called the Trading Post in New Street, attended the Phun City Festival, headlined by the rock bands Free and Mungo Jerry.

They were joined by hippies from all over England and America in a forerunner of the famous Glastonbury Festival in Somerset.

But the event was dogged by problems from the start. The organisers, who included two former Worthing High School pupils, were desperately short of money and couldn't provide the toilet and drinking water facilities they had promised.

As a result, the army of hippies, branded drugged-up dropouts by their critics, were forced to use the woods as a loo. The rectors of Patching and Angmering were so alarmed they helped organise a so-called Jesus Tent at the festival where the Christian gospel was preached.

Shortly before the festival was due to start, Free demanded payment up front and when they failed to receive it, packed their bags and left without playing a note.

Hells Angels, carrying clubs and bicycle chains and wearing German coal scuttle helmets with the swastika insignia, were employed as security men and were accused of roughing up the hippies.

When they found out there was no money to pay them, the situation threatened to turn nasty but a quick whipround among some rather worried organisers stopped them going on the rampage.

Up to 10,000 people are said to have attended the festival, about half the number expected, resulting in the event making a £6,000 loss.

Detectives disguised as hippies mingled among the crowd, many of whom smoked cannabis openly. First-aiders treated dozens of people for various complaints including exhaustion, exposure, burns from bonfires and cuts.

When Mungo Jerry appeared on stage, a number of hippies, male and female, stripped naked during a wild frenzy of hypnotic dancing.

People living nearby complained about the noise, which could be heard in Ferring, and the nauseating smell from the woods. The Reverend Neal Snelling, rector of Clapham and Patching, said he saw scenes which appalled him.

He said: "It was absolutely disgusting. Young men and women were lying about together and it was obvious what they were up to.

"I haven't got anything against the hippie ideal of spreading peace and universal love but it depends on what they mean by love. They behaved like animals."

When a group of hippies reading obscene poems refused to leave the Jesus Tent, the priest called in the Hells Angels to evict them. But even the Hells Angels smiled when they were asked to join hands for Ringaroses.

On the Monday, as mounds of litter were shovelled into pits, police moved into the woods and evicted about 150 hippies amid fears they were going to stay and set up a commune.

The landowner, Fitzroy Somerset, said it was the first and last time he would allow a concert on his land. However, there must be many people out there who attended and have fond memories of the event.