Facebook party accidentally attracts 1,500 guests

More than 1,500 people turned up for a teenager's birthday party after the girl accidentally posted the event as public on social networking website Facebook.

Celebrating her 16th birthday, Thessa had intended to only invite a few of her friends to her home in Hamburg, Germany. However, around 15,000 Facebook users confirmed that they would be attending after the event was not set to private and became viral, reports newspaper Bild am Sonntag.

The girl's parents then cancelled the party and contacted police and security services, anticipating a large turnout.

Around 100 police officers - one of which was injured that night - were eventually called in to deal with the 1,500 arrivals. Some guests had brought alcohol, presents and cake, while many were holding up signs reading 'Where's Thessa?' and chanting, "Thessa, celebrating a birthday is not a crime".

"We had cordoned off the house," a police spokesperson recalled. "Some 100 police were on the ground, four of them on horses - but that did not keep the kids from celebrating.

"It was sheer insanity but mostly peaceful."

Thessa was "not at home that night" as she spent her birthday with her grandparents, police said.

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