Caught on camera: Cyclist accidentally crashes and films illegal rave

Cyclling enthusiast had camera attached when he discovered thousands of revellers in a Sussex beauty spot

Caught on camera: the revellers yesterday (Tim Fry)

Two cyclists crashed an illegal rave in Sussex yesterday after inadvertently discovering thousands of revellers on an afternoon bike ride.

Local resident Tim Fry discovered the illegal rave in Devils Dyke, a South Downs beauty spot roughly five miles north of Brighton, as he and a friend cycled down a dirt track at around midday on Sunday.

Speaking to the Independent Mr Fry, 33, said: “We were cycling the South Downs Way near the Dyke when ahead of us we heard a bit of noise. We stopped and were very surprised.”

Scroll down to see the video

The pair encountered hundreds of cars, thudding music and drunken revellers – all caught on Mr Fry’s shoulder-mounted camera.

Nearly 2,000 people attended the rave at its busiest, with an estimated 400 vehicles in the area, many of which were parked on the nearby narrow country lanes.

Mr Fry added: “We just cycled straight through and came out quite quickly. We didn’t want to stick around, there were quite a few drunk people just standing about and there was no real police presence.”

He continued: “I saw one police car, but I just don’t think the police were interested.”

Despite complaints from residents in nearby villages, Sussex police maintained because of poor weather conditions, the volume of people and the number of officers available "it was not appropriate or practical to attempt to close the gathering safely".

The rave eventually wrapped up early this morning.

A Sussex police spokesperson said seven arrests were made: five for drugs offences, one for driving while unfit through drugs and one for failing to comply with a direction to leave the area, but that there were no reports of disorder or injury.

Video courtesy of Tim Fry