Two members of the LGBT community have defended criticism over this year's Pride in Alsager event after complaints were made about merchandise on sale.

Karen Richards, vice chair of Alsager Pride and Richard Walton, trustee and treasurer of Congleton Pride both addressed councillors in the public section of an Alsager Town Council meeting this week.

Karen Richards said the event was a family one and the stallholder selling the offending merchandise was asked to move it to the back of the stall.

She told how he had moved to Alsager 18 months ago and last December, she had been "verbally attacked" by two people in a bar in Alsager for being a member of the LGBT community.

And she also pointed out comments which had been made about the LGBT community and Pride in Alsager on social media.

She said: "The amount of abuse is absolutely ridiculous. The event itself passed incident free and the way stalls are booked in is being reviewed for future events.

Richard Walton (left) and Karen Richards (right) after this week's Alsager Town Council meeting. (Photo: Nub News)

"It's not about public funding. We are very grateful for all the support we receive and fund a large percentage of the event ourselves. Hate doesn't belong in a town like Alsager."

Richard Walton from Congleton Pride said there had been an incident in bad taste which had happened at Congleton Pride several year ago.

He said: "We went to the trader and asked them to take the offending item off display. Don't let outside parties influence common sense. We can all learn from it."

Alsager Town Council discussed the item about Pride in Alsager in part two of the meeting which exclused the press and public.

The findings of this are due to be made public over the coming weeks.

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