In pictures: Hundreds gather on Worthing seafront for VE Day 80 beacon lighting

Beacons across the area were lit on the evening of May 8, in Worthing, Lancing and Shoreham.

The Worthing event started at 8.30pm with the Salvation Army Band playing as people gathered. The beacon had been moved to a new permanent location adjacent to The Seafront Gallery, opposite Augusta Place, to make it more accessible to large crowds.

Veterans and military cadet units marched along the promenade from Steyne Gardens before the VE Day tribute was read.

After the beacon lighting, the VE Day song I Vow to Thee My Country and the National Anthem closed the event.

Pageantmaster Bruno Peek, who was leading the national commemoration, said: "This isn’t just about remembering the past – it’s about celebrating and enduring the spirit of peace that we all share today, and the friendships that have grown stronger over the last 80 years.”