Budleigh Salterton Literary Festival has been hailed a success after visiting authors help pack the town full of visitors.

Organisers said the ticket sales proved the event was a hit after many of the talks and workshops sold out.

Festival committee chairman, Bill McDermott, said the annual event just got ‘better and better’, thanks to a band of loyal and dedicated volunteers.

He said: “Once again, Budleigh Salterton has succeeded in delivering a fantastically entertaining and rich array of talent at this year’s festival.

“A talented bunch of volunteers from the local community made it all happen with their ‘can-do’ attitude.

“Many of the celebrated writers have applied to come again next year, which is praise indeed.

“This was very much a team event, from the coaxing of authors to come, through to the organising and delivery of the events themselves in such a variety of venues.

“It is a huge credit to local people that so much was achieved.

“We were confident from the outset that we had a great product - and that means not just the quality of the guest writers, outstanding though that was - but also our small town of Budleigh Salterton itself.”