Baying mob of 300 revellers trash house after party invite was posted on internet

The gatecrashers left a trail of devastation in a five-hour rampage during which they urinated in neighbours' gardens and smashed cars and property.

Around 20 police officers with a helicopter in support were called to the semi-detached house in Bournemouth, where they were pelted with cans and bottles.

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The following morning the four female university students who share the house sheepishly visited their neighbours and gave out chocolates and wine to apologise.

They handwrote cards to their neighbours which read: "We are all really sorry for the way things panned out.

"If you would like us to come and litter-pick your garden we would be more than happy."

Helen Tallent, 22, her 18-year-old sister Rosie, Erin Keenan, who is in her early 20s, and a fourth student called Penny were said to be deeply upset about the incident.

After emerging from the five-bedroom house, Miss Keenan apologised for using valuable emergency service resources.

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She said: "It costs a lot of money to launch a helicopter and we all feel really bad about it.

"I would much rather the money had been spent on trying to save someone's life rather than breaking up a party."

The four students insisted they had intended to invite just a handful of friends round for a "get-together".

But after leaving messages on their individual Bebo websites, word soon spread to hundreds of uninvited guests.

A video has been posted on the YouTube website in which a policeman trying to disperse the crowd can be heard shouting "Keep moving, move back", but is greeted with drunken boos.

Residents said that one person had even set up a stall in the road selling alcohol.

One said: "There were 300 people out in the street. It had clearly got out of control.

"The girls were very apologetic the next day. They came round with a box of chocolates to say sorry. It's not their fault."

Two men aged 20 and 25 were arrested on suspicion of assault but released without charge. A 22-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of a public order offence.

The party mirrors other gatherings which have been described as spiralling into what are becoming known as "Skins parties" after the Channel Four drama about badly behaved teenagers.

In many cases they have got out of control after being advertised on the internet.

Last week it emerged that more than 50 youngsters converged on 15-year-old Gemma Johnson's home in Worthing, Sussex. They smashed up the house and even drugged the family dog.

A Bournemouth police spokesman said: "We have seen time and again the effects of advertising events on social networking websites.

"You have no control over the numbers who turn up and things can quickly get out of control."