One of Chatham’s historic ships, HMS Gannet, was boarded by pirates keen to pull up the rigging on some Bank Holiday fun.

The invaders are members of a re-enactment group called the Brotherhood, who are taking part in the Four Winds Pirate Festival held for the first time at Chatham's Historic Dockyard.

Gannet, a sloop of war built in 1878, made an ideal setting as a recruitment centre for youngsters to sign on as honorary pirates.

Later there was a battle royal between pirates and other re-enactors playing the role of revenue men or red-coats.

Youngsters who signed up to the Fellowship of Pirates, had a chance to make a colourful pirate hat, bandana or sash. They could also make badges, have a temporary tatoo or their faces painted.

There were demonstrations of musket ball making, rope work and pirate cooking, as well as cutlass fighting, musketry and cannon fire.

As if all that wasn’t enough, they could then listen to tall tales of treason and terror aboard the Gannet.

Each day of the Festival there was a grand pirate parade followed by a battle between pirates and soldiers.