THE streets of Middlesbrough were filled with colour and glitter when thousands of people descended on the town centre to celebrate the area's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

The festival kicked off around midday when a rainbow march paraded through the town before drag act La Voix took centre stage during the Middlesbrough Community Pride event on Saturday.

Following the colourful parade there was a free five-hour open-air concert in Centre Square, which was hosted by Ophelia Balls and featured Tees Valley drag acts Daisy Diamond, Miss Penni and Lola Divine.

Community Pride chairwoman Danni Gibson said the festival was a way of showing how Middlesbrough is a town very much inclusive of the LGBT people.

She said: “It has been a fantastic day for the whole community and there is a really good party atmosphere.

“The new centre square location has given us the ideal environment for those who have recently come out and may have felt intimidated by last year’s town centre location.”

La Voix, real name Chris Dennis, grew up on Stockton's Elm Tree estate until leaving for university at 18, the former Egglescliffe School student recently won best drag act at the London Cabaret Awards.