VISITORS will return home today 'singing the praises' of Torbay's first ever gay pride event.

Hundreds of people attended a wide-range of special performances, cinema screenings and open-air events during the colourful four-day festival.

Events such as the Key West Hotel pool party on Saturday, which was attended by more than 400 people, proved a major hit with revellers as well as providing a boost to the local economy.

Political activist Peter Tatchell declared Pride Torbay a major success and said it would get 'bigger and bigger in the future'.

He said: "It's been a great success. This first gay pride has established a blueprint from which the organisers can build something bigger and better in the future.

"I can foresee it being a big event in years to come.

"In every town or community where they hold an event like this it starts off quite small and builds.

"The combination of beautiful scenery here and the picturesque seaside town is a winning formula."

He said on Saturday two coach loads of visitors from London arrived and joined in the fun.

"They will go back as ambassadors talking about the fabulous time they had in Torquay."

Mr Tatchell compared the efforts of Torbay to those of London, which held its first Gay Pride event in 1972. Initially there were just 100 visitors, but numbers grew massively in succeeding years.

He said his personal favourite event was the open-air screening of the film Milk at Torre Abbey.

"It was exquisite," he said.

Organiser Matt Newbury said he was delighted with how the festival had gone.

"There were 12 events and they were all really well attended.

"The pool party was fantastic and about 400 people were there. Everybody had a really good time."

Questionnaires have been handed to visitors asking about their experiences to try to find out how much the event has been worth to the local economy.

Mr Newbury said: "I think we have had 1,000 different people if not 1,500 visiting the event.

"If we get that many people all eating out at least once it will show how much this is worth to Torbay."

The festival started on Thursday and was launched at Play nightclub with the help of elected mayor Nick Bye.

It ended last night with a street cabaret party along Meadfoot Lane.

Richard Long, landlord at the Meadfoot Inn, said: "It has been a great few days and trade has been very good. We had 200 people signed-up for the cabaret even before it began."