A local newspaper broke the story of a large-scale beach rave in Devon five days before it was picked up by the world's media.

The Herald Express first revealed last Thursday that thousands of revellers were using social networking site Facebook to organise the three-day party in the Torbay area this weekend.

During the course of this week, the story has appeared on a host of different blogs and websites including Australian site news.com.au and pub trade magazine the Morning Advertiser.

It has also been picked up by most UK national newspapers and was the front page lead on yesterday's Metro.

The party plans were discovered when news reporter Jon Paul Hedge stumbled across them by accident.

Crime correspondent Paul James, who has been covering the story, said: "Everybody is keen on our lively little party but we've not been invited. I'm sure we will be going along though.

"I thought this was a half-decent news item but I had no idea how big it would get.

"I never cease to be surprised by the whims of the press.

"Sarah Kennedy even made light of it Radio 2 which made me more aware of people taking notice of the party scene in 'The Bay'."

The invitation on Facebook calls for revellers to make it 'the biggest thing to hit Torbay' and head down with as much alcohol as they can afford.

Around 4,450 people have confirmed they are attending but the final tally could touch the 12,000 mark as more than 7,200 have signed up as 'maybe attending'.

Since the original story broke local police and the council have been devising combat strategies including a carpet ban on alcohol, causing consternation among local landlords.

The story has also proved a lively discussion point on the Herald's website with reader comments flooding in about the party, expressing the whole spectrum of opinions.

Paul added: "It's a wait and see thing as what people say they're doing and what they actually do are two different things. That's the police's dilemma.

"It might start tipping it down and the whole thing becomes a damp squib.

"Either way, our weekend team will be keeping a close eye on things."

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