They could just as easily have been in Antigua, Grenada or Jamaica.

But it was in Birmingham's Perry Park that 80,000 revellers last night celebrated carnival by bumping and grinding to reggae beats in the baking heat.

Even the grass seemed to bounce with the baseline of the sound systems.

The carnival- goers quenched their thirst on coconut milk, ginger beer and tropical fruit juice, and devoured an estimated 2,000 portions of jerk chicken and rice and 3,000 patties.

They browsed stalls selling African prints and tried to hold back as the tempting smells of spice cake and candy floss spread through the park.

Then the floats arrived with their carnival queens aboard and the whistles drowned out the music.

For Joan Campbell, a 43-year-old community worker from Great Barr, it showed all that was positive about the Afro-Caribbean community in Birmingham.

She said: "There's a real buzz here. Everyone is friendly and there's a feeling of unity. The community has come together. This is what we need to bring back the spirit."

Edna Soloman, a 48-yearold caterer from Handsworth, was playing music at a stall covered in plastic fruits.

She said: "Everyone is smiling and laughing. This is what reminds me of Jamaica."

Bosede Oni-isinhaka, a 26-year-old from Newtown, had brought her 18-month-old daughter Isadora to enjoy the delights of carnival.

She said: "The food is brilliant, the people are beautiful and the music is fantastic. This is a real celebration of culture."

For Ellen Bell, from Harborne, the carnival was a way of reminding her of her holidays in the Caribbean.

She said: "I have been four or five times to the Caribbean and this brings it all back. I've just had a delicious West Indian curry with lots of coconut in it.

"I love the dancing and the way this event reflects the different cultures in Birmingham. The roots may be second or third generation, but they are so obviously deeply felt and preserved."

There were also those who brought serious messages to carnival.

Gleen Reid sat behind a stall offering youngsters leaflets on how to stop gun crime. Her son Corey Allan, a father-of-four, was shot dead outside a community centre in Handsworth in 2000.

She said: "This is of course a happy event, but also an opportunity to tell people about the devastating effects of gun crime and violence.

"We want the community to get more involved with our projects. Most people have come to enjoy themselves but they need to have a bit of seriousness as well. We must clean up our communities.

"I live with the effects of gun crime every day when I remember Corey and I know families who have lost their children through it."

Hugh Donald, a 26-year-old from London, said the venue should change to a smaller park so the stalls were less spread out. But the carnival's organisers had no complaints.

Coun John Alden (Con Harborne), cabinet member for leisure, sport and culture, said: "The atmosphere has been superb with thousands of people soaking up the excellent entertainment."