Police were called out to deal with three raves in 12 hours.

About 200 people started setting up equipment for a party at Devils Dyke, near Brighton, at around 6.40pm on Friday sparking a series of calls to Sussex Police.

Officers went out to the scene and had eventually moved everyone on by 9pm.

The police control centre then started getting reports of a similar sized group gathering in North Road in the city centre and around the seafront just before 9pm.

Officers were drafted in to monitor the area and once again started moving the party-goers on.

Most were dispersed relatively quickly although a “small hard-core” group ignored requests to go and stayed in the area until midnight.

Police were then alerted at around 12.15am on Saturday that another group of around 50 people had gathered on the Downs just north of Hollingbury.

Officers were sent out for the third time to investigate and order the music to be turned off and the rave abandoned.

Partygoers began to drift away and police returned to the scene several times during the night.

The final few people had gone by 8.30am on Saturday.

Many people living near the Downs were disturbed by the noise and disruption Commenting on The Argus website, Charismatic Andrew said: “I couldn't sleep because it was so loud.

“Even with the windows shut it made a hell of a racket. I thought a neighbour had their music on loud, but when I went outside I realised it was a rave. It was ridiculously loud.”

A Sussex Police spokesman said: “We were able to persuade people to move on without having to use any legal notices or enforcement and no arrests were made.”