Inaugural seaside soapbox derby draws the crowds after pandemic postponement

• Video report by Andy Dickenson

The seafront of Eastbourne was packed with spectators eager to watch a spectacular, if somewhat bonkers, event today.

The town's first ever 'soapbox derby' had to be postponed last year because of the pandemic - but competitors and their karts certainly made it worth the wait.

Plenty of thrills and spills were had with more than five thousand spectators flocking to the short course from the South Downs onto the seafront.

29 teams of competitors in hit the chicanes and the jumps - with varying degrees of success.

An American tradition transported to Sussex with typical British eccentricity - that its hoped could become a downward trend.