WILTSHIRE and Swindon’s Police and Crime Commissioner has come out in support of the force’s decision to sponsor this year’s LGBT Pride festival.

In the face of a barrage of negative comments following the announcement earlier this year, Angus Macpherson hit back at the “keyboard warriors” and said he was thrilled to be backing the event.

Mr Macpherson said that he had been “labelled an idiot” for sponsoring the festival, with one internet troll claiming the commissioner was “supporting activities which, until the very recent past, were a criminal offence”.

In response, Mr Macpherson said: “Let me make it clear that I fully support the decision to sponsor this year’s Pride. The outlay is modest, but the benefit considerable.

“It is essential that Wiltshire Police reaches out to, and reflects, the diverse communities it serves. That includes the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.

“Pictures of our chief constable with LGBT colleagues enjoying last year’s event, or of the Pride rainbow flag fluttering outside our Devizes HQ, send a positive and powerful signal to a community which, in some parts of the country, has faced homophobic attacks.”

On reading of the police’s decision to back the festival, another anonymous troll quipped: “Totally against any form of promoting any form of this. I pay my council tax for this and I want a police force that is free from any agenda of anything. Disgusting.”

The Swindon and Wiltshire Pride is among the most hotly anticipated in the LGBT calendar, and this year it will celebrate its 10th anniversary with the theme ‘Celebrating Freedom’.

It will be jointly sponsored by Wiltshire Police, Wiltshire Police Federation and the Wiltshire Police and Justice branch of the union UNISON.

Last year’s event saw thousands of people turn out for a weekend of music and dancing, and organisers are hoping for a similarly successful year again.

Mr Macpherson added: “We must always remember that the police need to serve the whole public of Wiltshire and Swindon.

“Bringing together the hate crime group from all the strands of diversity, we are getting a better feel of what it’s like in the community.

“We are addressing the issues which are brought to us and looking at how we can support people who have been the victims of crime.”

Swindon and Wiltshire Pride will be held on Saturday, July 29 at the Town Gardens, Old Town.

Chair of Swindon and Wiltshire Pride Jo Sharpe said: “Wiltshire Police has always been extremely supportive of the event and we have worked closely with them.”