ON behalf of the residents of Bournemouth, I would like to thank everyone who has made the sixth Bournemouth Air Festival the tremendous success it has been.

These are the many officers in the council who planned the event and then delivered it over the four days and the pilots who thrilled us with their performances.

Thanks to the Army, the RAF, the Royal Navy, who came with more ships than in previous years and allowed visitors round them.

There was also the Royal Marines with their Beating the Retreat musical programme and the many people in the service industries who worked tirelessly in our hotels and restaurants to serve the more than one million visitors who came.

Thanks also to the charities who raised money for good causes; the emergency services; the Coastguard; the RNLI; the many patrons and sponsors of the festival, and all the others who contributed in any way.

Several visitors to our town thanked me for a wonderful festival and commented on the ‘Welcome to Bournemouth’ sign that they felt greeted them and made them welcome as they entered. We can be proud of our festival, which is now officially ranked in the top 10 air festivals in the world. I am sure that many of us cannot wait for the next festivals being offered, namely the Arts by the Sea Festival, the Marathon Festival, the Bournemouth Gardens of Light Christmas Festival and the International Wheels Festival.

We live in a wonderful town.

CLLR RODNEY COOPER, Mayor of Bournemouth