The clock turned back more than 50 years as motorcyclists rock’n’rolled their way into Margate on bank holiday Monday.

Thousands of gleaming bikes and scooters packed the town for the ninth annual Margate Meltdown rally organised by the Ace Cafe in London.

This year marked the 52nd anniversary of the infamous Mods and Rockers beach battles on the bank holiday in May 1964 which turned the national spotlight on the town. Magistrates coined the phrase “sawdust Caesars” to describe the rioters.

In recent years the middle-aged Mods have poked fun at the decades-old notoriety which once proclaimed ‘lock up your daughters’ by twisting it around to ‘lock up your grannies’ and they were even part of a spoof zimmer frame race along the prom where bikers and scooter riders once raced and clashed.

This weekend’s event was a peaceful and friendly invasion as riders, holidaymakers and residents admired the bikes parked along the seafront and around the piazza and harbour area.

Music and entertainment was also on hand to create a buzz during the day.