23 November 2011 Last updated at 08:37 ET

Penzance town breaks official world pirate record

Penzance now officially holds the record for the largest pirate gathering

A west Cornwall town is celebrating after being officially recognised as a world record breaker.

The Guinness World Records has confirmed that Penzance now holds the title for the largest gathering of pirates in one place.

On Sunday 25 June, 8,734 people in fancy dress assembled on Penzance promenade at 13:00 BST.

They have now officially broken the previous record set by 6,166 pirates in Hastings in 2010.

The pirate gathering was part of the town's annual Golowan Festival which celebrates the traditional feast of St John.

Pirate ships

The record attempt was the brainchild of Penzance resident, Angie Butler, who wanted her home town, made famous by the Gilbert and Sullivan opera, The Pirates of Penzance, to hold the pirate record.

Participants were asked to wear pirate items including bandanas, cut-off trousers, eye patches, pirate hats and cutlasses.

Organiser Andy Hazelhurst said: "We had all sorts of standards of costume from Johnny Depp look-a-likes to little kids with stripy T-shirts.

"We even had dogs dressed up, although they didn't get counted."

They were counted on to the promenade in Penzance by official counters.