FA¡NS RECREATING ABBEY ROAD COVER

• Famous studio's camera shows 24/7 footage of the iconic crossing
• It has filmed a man in a yellow submarine outfit and real penguins
• Traffic is repeatedly stopped and horns are audible throughout the day

Arms swinging, legs scissoring back-and-forth, a smile and wave to someone nearby with a camera and not a care in the world.

You wouldn't think these people are playing in traffic, but that's exactly what happens day-in-day-out at the infamous Abbey Road crossing in St John's Wood in London.

Fans and opportunists alike have been recreating The Beatles iconic Abbey Road album cover at the spot it was shot since it was released in 1969.

Clowning around: the live camera feed captures four people in animal all-in-one suits holding up a car

Two bemused onlookers stare at a yellow submarine crossing the iconic strip

But now the Abbey Road studio, where John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr originally recorded the album, has set up a 24-hour live camera feed with no other motive, seemingly, other than letting you watch the lunacy of copycat Beatles fans unfold in front of you. 

Listening to the audio you can hear the honks of irate drivers on their commute to work as an endless stream of men, women and children pose for photographs on the now Grade II listed site.

Why did the chicken cross the road? So a man can take a photograph of it, apparently 

The road is temporarily closed while real penguins are given the star treatment

A thread on Reddit has even sprung up for aficionados of the live camera feed.

One viewer said: 'Wow, this is far too much fun. I feel like I'm about to see an accident happening live, though.'

Another user added: 'It's addictive, I keep going to close it but then some moron runs out into the road and I have to watch to see if he survives the gauntlet.' 

One user admired dedication to the cause: 'Jesus, it's 20:00 and they're still at it.'

Watching the live stream on a Friday afternoon, a group of five girls cause havoc while they run back and forth taking pictures in front of a taxi and two large lorries.

Next comes a small family. They carry on happily while a car edges as far forward as possible, without touching the zebra crossing, to encourage them on their way. 

The crossing is turned green by Tourism Ireland to celebrate St Patrick's Day in London this year

The Beatles released Abbey Road on 26 September 1969 in the United Kingdom and on 1 October 1969 in the United States.

Before that, on 8 August 1969 photographer Iain Macmillan spent roughly ten minutes taking just six pictures of The Beatles walking across the pedestrian crossing situated to the left of Abbey Road Studios' entrance.

Messages to The Beatles are scrawled all over the street sign at Abbey Road

The result was put on the cover and the album sold four million copies in the first two months.

In the UK, it debuted at number one and remained there for 11 weeks before being displaced by The Rolling Stones' Let It Bleed for one week. Abbey Road then returned to the number one spot for a further six weeks.

It remains the band's best-selling album.