Samba bands are not usually known for playing quiet music.

So when one was told it couldn't play in a town centre for being too noisy it came as a bit of a shock.

Worthing's Celebration Samba was told it could not hold another of its public workshops in the town centre after its sound caused a stir with shoppers and traders last year.

In response, members of Celebration Samba decided to hold a protest by mimicking their drum noises and using feather dusters so they didn't upset anyone.

Ivan Mitchell, 57, who along with wife Janice founded the band five years ago, said: "We got some rather strange looks from people when we started making the noises of the drums by the bandstand in Montague Street.

"We made a bit of a protest and had notices saying the banned band is back', and things like that.

"It was all very tongue in cheek."

Trouble for the band, which has 12 members, started when it held a public workshop in May last year. It wanted to do the same this year and applied to the Worthing Town Centre Initiative for permission but was told it could not as it was too loud last time.

Band member Bethan Williams, 17, said: "We turned up and played using feather dusters and used our mouths for the sound of the drums.

"For the last couple of songs, though, we used our drumsticks and people really enjoyed listening to us play."

The band used its humorous protest on Saturday to help launch the Artists And Makers arts festival, which begins tomorrow.

Worthing Town Centre manager Sharon Clarke said: "I haven't banned it from banging its drums but I had a number of complaints when it was performing for long periods of time. I received five retailer complaints and 15 shopper complaints."

The Celebration Samba band is welcoming new members.

It practises every Thursday between 7.30pm and 9pm at the Ivy Arch Studios, in Ivy Arch Road, Worthing.

For more information about the arts festival, visit www.artistsandmakers.com Was the Samba band too noisy? Tell us what you think below.