Margate hosts Pride parade after anti-gay leaflets distributed

Pride events have been held in Margate before but not on an annual basis

A Pride parade is taking place in a Kent seaside town days after anti-gay leaflets were posted through residents' letterboxes.

The anonymous flyers urged people in Margate not to support the day and to "save yourself and your children from homosexuality".

The parade started at The Lido car park at 11:00 BST and is moving through the town to the seafront.

But an event planned for up to 100 stalls has been cancelled.

Organisers, who said they relied on fundraisers, sponsors and donations, blamed a lack of funding.

The leaflet distributed in the town urged people not to support the Pride event

Equality campaigner Peter Tatchell said the leaflets, which were also handed out on Margate seafront on Monday, showed there was a "small hard-core anti gay minority".

"But we shouldn't get it out of proportion," he said.

"The fact that these people were not even prepared to put their name to the leaflet shows that they are cowards and they know they have got very little public support."

Kent Pride organiser Tony Butcher said: "I would expect this sort of thing 30 or 40 years ago but not now.

"These people just hate us for the sake of hating. They are complete, ignorant fools."

Tony Butcher said he would not expect to hear the sentiments expressed in the leaflets nowadays

Margate's first Pride event was held in 2007 but it has not been a regular fixture.

This year's organisers said their aim was to create an annual lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) celebration "to promote equality within one of the most deprived parts of Kent which is also community with a high LGBT population".

Kent Police said it had received three reports of the leaflet being distributed in Thanet, but not from people who had received it.

"However, officers are investigating the matter and enquiries into the source and distribution of the leaflets are on-going," it said in a statement.