WESTON residents have been reminiscing on the conflict between 'Mods and Rockers' in the 1960s.

The two youth groups would often clash in the seaside town.

The Modrock website details the characteristics of the two groups: "The Mods and Rockers were conflicting British youth subcultures of the early-mid 1960s.

"Riots between Mods and Rockers broke out in seaside resort towns in Southern England during this time and sparked a moral panic about British youths. The Rockers were motorcyclists, wearing clothes such as black leather jackets.

"The Mods were scooter riders, wearing suits and clean-cut outfits."

Posting in the We Grew Up In Weston-super-Mare Facebook group, one local asked: "How many of you remember the pitch battles on the seafront, outside the Grand Pier, between the Mods and Rockers?"

In response, one local described the battles as "good, clean fighting."

They said: "Yes remember those days. Good, clean fighting, one-on-one. No knives, no bottling. If you had a knife you were never welcome in any group or gang. And safe to go out at night and walk home safely on your own."

Another said: "I certainly do! I was pushed off my Mod scooter outside the Winter Gardens!"

One resident wondered how the fights would have impacted the local community: "Many of those young lads would now be fathers/grandfathers.

"I wonder how they may now feel about the disruption and damage caused to their local community, to holidaymakers, and the cost of policing their behaviour? Was it all just having a bit of fun?"

A third commenter added: "Ran the town's deckchair stack next to the Grand Pier in late 60’s. By lunch time most of the chairs had been strewn across the beach by the Mods and/or Rockers on Bank Holiday Mondays! Great days though."

Some seemed to agree that, at times, the fights on the seafront could get out of hand. One person summed it up: "The sixties was certainly an experience and could get a bit out of hand on the seafront at times, but personally I preferred riding in the beach race during the eighties, much safer!"

Not everyone got involved, with some locals saying that they tried their best to "dodge 'em" and that they avoided the conflict "like the plague."