A businessman has launched a stinging attack on Dartmouth's huge regatta celebrations and the people they attract, labelling them 'cider-swilling, burger-munching barbarian dross'.

Former restaurant owner Johnny Chick lambasted the major visitor attraction, claiming it has grown too big with its air displays and 'cheapjack' stalls – pulling in the wrong 'quality' of people in their thousands.

He contrasted the regatta with the town's food festival which he described as a 'quality event'.

He said: 'Why should this wonderful town of Dartmouth and its great residents be made to suffer the ill-mannered behaviour of some 50,000 cider-swilling, burger-munching barbarian dross, all freeloading on car boot-style stalls and unnecessary air displays.'

Mr Chick, who runs his Rod O'Reely fishing business from the town's Market Square, said he wanted to see an end to the 'cheapjack' stalls and the air displays.

'They need to try to improve on what the regatta has become – a great big bun fight, which doesn't do the majority of businesses any good at all.

'I have thought about it for a long time now and now we have got something to compare it to.

'The music festival is a great event and the food festival is becoming a great event.'

He said of the food festival, which brought in around 15,000 visitors over three days at the weekend: 'The high quality stalls and food brought equally the same in the visitors.'

His controversial comments brought an immediate response from Port of Dartmouth Royal Regatta chairman Hilary Bastone, who said: 'I find comments like that really offensive and I don't wish to become involved in a conversation such as that.'

But he added: 'The general feeling from people that I and members of the committee have spoken to is that this year's regatta was a very friendly and happy regatta.'

Mr Chick, 58, has run businesses in the town for the last 10 years.

He said now was a 'terrific opportunity' for the regatta organisers to rethink the regatta and concentrate on the traditional rowing and sailing events.

He said regatta was like 'Trago Mills on a Sunday' while the food festival attracted a 'better quality of person'.

He added: 'I am not a snob but I do know this weekend the food festival has proved that there are a lot of lovely people out there who like to come to Dartmouth.'

He said some of the town's businesses actually closed to avoid the regatta crowds.

'The roads become a nightmare and there are police all over the place.

'It's unfair on the residents of Dartmouth. I don't think I bump into many townspeople who say they think regatta is great.'