The Teddy Boy wars : the youth cult that shocked Britain

In the mid-1950s, Britain was gripped by the sudden terror of its own youth.

As if from nowhere, gangs of young men, dressed in a remarkable new fashion, emerged to turn the streets, dance halls and fairgrounds into battlefields.

The Teddy Boys had arrived. Soon they were blamed for a rising tide of post-War crime.

Then the arrival of rock 'n' roll sparked rioting and further condemnation.

Yet others saw the Teds as a positive sign of an independent generation, and similar fads were embraced in other countries.

Their legacy survives today.