BOURNEMOUTH’S attempts at creating a record breaking conga chain were branded as a “miserable failure”.

These were the words from the aptly named compere, Tony Fail, who was the first to know the jigging, jogging, jolly trail was more than 7,500 short of the expected number.

The number who joined the line-up on August 3, 1979, was 1,478 - way off the record of 8,000 set by the East Devon seaside resort of Sidmouth.

Mr fail blamed the number of spectators who had not joined in for the failure in breaking the world record.

“There must have been at least 2,000 on the Pier Approach and the clifftops were crowded.

“Spectators three deep lined the route of the chain on both sides along the promenade, and I feel sure that if everybody had joined in then we would have had at least 10,000.”