A repeat of Fatboy Slim's beach party is on the cards after councillors gave the green light for more seafront spectaculars.

But before any more shows are agreed, new guidelines will have to be approved to prevent the chaos caused by the event in July.

That means it is unlikely there will be another mega concert next year even if Fatboy - Hove-based DJ Norman Cook - decides to again fund the free beach party, although smaller events will be allowed.

About 250,000 people attended the summer concert while organisers had planned for 70,000.

Although there were no serious incidents or violence at the event, there were problems due to the size of the crowd and the tons of rubbish left behind.

New culture councillor Andy Durr said at last night's Brighton and Hove City Council's culture committee meeting: "The Fatboy Slim concert was a marvellous event but it was a bit scary. We are all about youth culture and not in the business of dampening things down.

"This is a wonderful place to be and we will keep it that way. We will be careful and we are looking at events for the future."

Tory councillor David Smith said: "We were all taken by surprise but how much would we have to pay for the publicity the event created?"

Leading Labour councillor Brian Fitch said: "The event was a victim of its own success. Negative attitudes by some people will not stop us doing it again but we will have to have proper protection.

"We will develop a strategy to ensure future concerts are a big success. We wouldn't forgive ourselves if a tragedy occurred."

Tory councillor Peter Lewis said: "We need to look at these events in far more detail but businesses had such a bumper time that, to an extent, it made up for the poor summer."

Former culture councillor Ian Duncan said: "The decision to put on these events does not rest entirely with us. It is also down to the promoters, the police and the emergency services."