PIRATES galore turned out to see the regional premiere of the long-awaited Pirates of the Caribbean sequel at Southampton's Harbour Lights cinema last night.

Special guests, members and friends got into the mood by dressing up in skull and crossbone headscarves, pirate hats and eye patches, pictured.

There were hooks, swords and more than one parrot watched the film from the shoulders of its master.

Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Man's Chest stars Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom.

Once again thrown into the world of the supernatural, Captain Jack Sparrow (Depp) discovers he owes a blood debt to the legendary Davey Jones, captain of the ghostly Flying Dutchman.

With time running out, Jack must find a way out of his debt or else be doomed to eternal damnation and servitude in the afterlife.

If this wasn't enough, the captain's problems manage to wreck the wedding plans of a certain Will Turner (Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Knightley), who are forced to join Jack on yet another misadventure.

The event was part of a film festival link-up between Harbour Lights and Southampton's Sea City 2006 initiative, which celebrates the city's links with the sea.

The cinema showed a series of marine-themed films including The Old Man and the Sea and Miranda during the week-long festival.

Dead Man's Chest is in cinemas nationwide from today.