A Facebook-driven phenomena stopped Kingston in its tracks on Saturday, as hundreds gathered to participate in the town’s first flash mob.

The Big Freeze was the brainchild of Bristol University student Josh Forwood, who decided Kingston was the perfect place for people to meet and hold unusual poses for five minutes.

A flash mob occurs when a group of people make online arrangements to meet, perform an unusual act and then disperse as if nothing has happened.

At the sound of a horn, everybody taking part froze - to the bemusement of unsuspecting shoppers.

One elderly lady was overheard saying: “I think it’s one of those anti-war protests.”

David Price got down on one knee to propose to his girlfriend Samantha Lowe, but they disappointed onlookers by revealing afterwards that it was just a stunt for the Big Freeze.

Miss Lowe said: “We’ve only been seeing each other for five weeks. I just thought it would be fun.”

Another participant, Adam Messeder, was snapped mid-lunch with a sandwich-in-mouth pose.

He said: “It just so happened that I was hungry at the time. Anyone that knows me will associate me with the desecration of nearly anything edible so it seemed like the perfect pose for me to freeze in.”

Some chose to lie down for the freeze while others applied lip gloss, posed as buskers, blew their nose, hugged or formed a human pyramid.

Surbiton resident Lissy Hatfield was there with friends, celebrating turning 14 that day, and described it as a memorable way to spend her birthday.

Witness Liz Campbell said: “It was excellent to watch, I couldn’t join in as there was no way my four-year-old could stand still for five seconds.”

Police found out about the event beforehand but were happy to let some of the 3,763-strong Facebook group have their enjoyment.

Safer neighbourhood Inspector Richard Dean said the event was monitored on CCTV because police did not want to “interfere with anybody’s fun”.

Another event is already being planned for around Christmas, with early suggestions including a mass congo, a finger gun fight and a giant zombie attack.

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