A gay hotel is at the centre of a row over its treatment of straight partygoers during the Pride festival.

Samantha Baskerville said she was disgusted when straight friends were turned away by door staff at Legends club in Brighton on Saturday night.

The friends went to the venue in Marine Parade to continue the festivities after Pride, which attracted a record 150,000 revellers.

Samantha, of Fourth Avenue, Hove, said: "They refused entry to our straight friends saying it was full yet they let me and anyone else who was gay in.

"If this was a gay couple being refused to a straight club they would be suing now. I think to discriminate against them is disgusting, especially during Pride."

Legends, which has a 24-hour drinking licence, was Britain's largest exclusively gay hotel until April this year when it was forced to accept new anti-discrimination laws and open its doors to straight customers.

General manager Reece Roberts denied the club had sexually discriminated against customers during Pride, which promotes tolerance.

He said: "Considering it was Pride we certainly wouldn't have turned them away because they were straight.

"There must have been some particular reason if they were turned away. The only reason somebody would not have been allowed in is because we were at capacity or they were too drunk.

"It was the busiest night of the year and we were at capacity.

"It was an exceptional night with an exceptionally good mixed atmosphere with a higher number of predominantly gay people."

Brighton and Hove City Council drafted in CLEAN-UP: Preston Park will soon be back to its usual pristine state after Pride ROW: Legends has been accused of turning away straight people PICTURE: TONY WOOD TW6807C-1 Do you think Brennan and Hay got off lightly?

Tell us your view at a1497407 FROM FRONT PAGE by JESS BAULDRY extra staff yesterday as it began the clean-up operation in Preston Park.

The lavish parade of musicalthemed floats ended in the park and revellers continued the party there with cabaret performances, a fun fair, dance tent and community village.

Pride's organising committee sent 50 litter pickers to collect rubbish for recycling.

Pride operations manager PJ Aldred said: "We agreed to clean up properly and we're already ahead of schedule.

"It's absolutely incredible. We think we are going to double recycling this year."