IT was the hottest party in town - literally.

Thirty thousand pop fans basked in glorious sunshine and temperatures of more than 29 degrees C, on Southampton Common yesterday for the tenth annual Power in the Park free pop concert.

The soaring temperatures was too much for some, with 117 people having to be treated by Hampshire Ambulance Service for the effects of heat.

Established chart stars such as Blue and Jamelia and rising sensations including Natasha Bedingfield and The 411 entertained for four hours in the anniversary show, which has gone down as one of the hottest on record. For the first time, entry to the concert, organised by radio station Power FM, was by ticket only, but fears that gatecrashers might try and breach the temporary fencing at the site proved unfounded.

In Winchester, up to 1,200 women also braved the heat to run 5km and raise up to £53,000 for breast cancer research in the city's Race for Life.

DON'T MISS EIGHT POWER-PACKED PAGES WITH PICTURES AND REPORTS IN TODAY'S DAILY ECHO.