After months of planning, thousands of people lined the Downs as part of a record-breaking bid to make a giant Mexican Wave.

Organisers of the West Sussex Youth Millennium Wave are expected to confirm in the next two days that their bid was successful and they can go into the Guinness Book of Records.

About 5,000 people of all ages converged on the Downs just south of Storrington and stretched for more than three miles towards Shoreham.

Bursts of heavy rain affected the turnout but organisers said they were more than happy with the numbers.

People began arriving at about 10am, four hours before the scheduled start at 2pm and were quickly marshalled into line.

Many brought sandwiches, drinks and chairs with them as they settled down for the wait.

The start was delayed by rain with the helicopter hired to film the wave waiting for the skies to clear. The first attempt was at 2.35pm and broke down halfway through. The second and third attempts went smoothly.

Cheers, shouts and clapping could be heard as the wave weaved from one end to the other. Each one took about seven or eight minutes.

The wave was started by Alison Clark, 20, from the West Sussex Girls' Brigade, one of the first youth groups to get involved with the project.

She said: "It was great fun to do it. Now we just have to hope that it makes the Guinness Book of Records."

Families, Cubs, Scouts, Brownies, Guides, boys' and girls' brigades, local nurseries and playgroups, school groups and voluntary organisations all turned up for the day.

Firefighters from Eastbourne and British Red Cross volunteers also took part.

Jane Morris and her two children Steve, ten, and Vicky, eight, from Water Lane, Storrington, were full of excitement about the event.

Mrs Morris said: "We wanted to take part in a bit of history."

Michael James, 43, travelled from Midhurst to take part.

He said: "I thought it was a great idea. Something really different to mark the millennium and it could also get Sussex into the record books."

Jane Peters, eight, from Storrington, arrived with her mum, Emma, and sister, Amy, ten, three hours before the wave was due to start.

She said: "It was really exciting. You could see the people waving and cheering and then when it got to us I jumped up and down and started shouting. It was very exciting and I want to do it again."

The idea of the wave caused controversy last year amid concerns at the amount of money that was being spent on it.

Residents and councillors were unhappy that a specialist full-time co-ordinator had been appointed at £15,000 a year when the council was making cuts.

But organisers said the event was money well spent and would help put West Sussex on the map for future generations.

There is no official world record for the number of people taking part in a Mexican Wave so the West Sussex one will be the first entry in the book.

Chairman of the organising committee Peter Monypenny said waves at arenas and concerts did not count.

He said: "To make it count, individuals have to make a specific trip to an organised wave and each person has to be registered. This is why it will take us a couple of days to work everything out.

"We have had a number of independent adjudicators who are responsible for each section of the wave and we need to get all their reports back. We are very hopeful and things are looking good."

Organiser Sue Forsyth said: "It has been a great day but an awful lot of hard work to set up. Everyone who helped, including all the local youth groups and the voluntary groups, have been brilliant."

West Sussex County Council chairman Ian Elliott led the countdown at the start.

He said: "I am delighted to take part in such an historic event and I congratulate everyone involved."