FIFTY-four-years-ago this month, fans of the Beatle – the majority of them schoolchildren - besieged the group on Salisbury Plain during the shooting of scenes to be included in their new film “Help.”

Assistance came from the army as the boys needed protection not only from the screaming girls, but also from the typical Plain weather!

For as the filming progressed, the wind and rain had the ‘Fab Four’ shivering from the cold conditions and this resulted in costly delays.

Things became further complicated because of thefts from their car which was left unlocked in the garage of their hotel – The Antrobus in Amesbury. It was found that a green cap and a black cap, which had already been worn by John Lennon in some scenes, were missing as were some shirts, a pair of rubber boots and a car badge. The police were not informed because there were indications that this was the work of fans.

Tony Howard, the Beatles press officer said: “The fact that even cigarette ends were taken from the ash tray indicates that it was the work of fans.” He then appealed to the thief to return the caps with the promise that there would be no bother for anyone involved.

Amesbury photographer Peter Brown was on Salisbury Plain during the filming and took a series of superb shots of the boys in action. He also captured the fans waiting for their idols to return to the Antobus Hotel. “There were hordes of people waiting outside and I took some pictures – I caught some of the first Beatlemania around here. They were all skiving off school – you could see from the age of them. Everyone was rushing backwards and forwards across the road and the police were trying to control them – it was something we had never witnessed before around here.”