BOURNEMOUTH exploded its way into the record books last night with a big bang consisting of 114,000 screaming rockets all going off at once.

An estimated 100,000 people packed into town to watch Roar on the Shore, with the densest crowds concentrated around Bournemouth Pier.

And last night, organisers were claiming to have smashed the previous Guinness world record of 56,405 rockets going off within 30 seconds.

Auditors were observing the event and a report and video will be sent to Guinness before the record can be officially accepted.

The Roar marked the end of the first day of the Bournemouth Air Festival. Some people turned up early to enjoy the early evening events, including a ballon glow and the Royal Marines Band beating the retreat.

Former England rugby star Kyran Bracken – appearing in his Ice Party show at the BIC this week – began the countdown to a colourful firework display just after 9.30pm. Hundreds of boats bobbed around in the bay and cameras flashed along the seafront into Poole.

After a pause, the rockets erupted from a barge moored between Bournemouth and Boscombe Piers. Within seconds, the white lights and deafening noise had turned into yellow flames.

The event was staged by Fantastic Fireworks, the team that delivered the previous world record in Plymouth three years ago. Managing director Jon Culverhouse said: “I know from the spectators’ point of view it was probably over too quickly, but we had to get the rockets up as quickly as possible in order to claim the record.

“In Plymouth they went on right up to 30 seconds, but we didn’t want to take any chances here because there were twice as many rockets. We detonated them in such as way that they all went up virtually instantaneously. From what we can see, hardly a rocket came back.”

Afterwards, the town centre turned into one huge traffic jam, although those who lingered on the seafront were also able to see the weekly Poole fireworks display in the distance.

Apart from trying to propel Bournemouth into the record books, Roar on the Shore was raising money for Help for Heroes, the charity set up to look after wounded servicemen and women returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Hundreds of individuals and companies pledged their support for the charity by sponsoring fireworks. Chief of staff Mark Elliott has described the response from the town as “phenomenal”.