Gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell last night urged the gay and lesbian community to think about taking direct action to get their voices heard.

Mr Tatchell, who helped form the protest group Outrage, said sitting down with community leaders, councillors and the police often failed to produce results.

Speaking at a meeting of Spectrum, the Brighton-based lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community (LGBT) forum, Mr Tatchell said: "Everybody is very nice and they pretend to listen, then they just carry on as before, ignoring the concerns of the gay community."

He said direct action should involve stunts which would "embarrass" the police or the council.

In the past, Outrage has disrupted high-profile meetings and conferences and occupied police stations.

People at the meeting expressed concern at police responses to homophobic attacks in St James's Street, Brighton, as well as Brighton and Hove City Council's refusal to fly the rainbow flag, seen as a symbol of equality by the LGBT community.

Mr Tatchell said: "The amount of money the LGBT community is contributing to Brighton and Hove is phenomenal.

"To ask the council for just that little bit extra in terms of finance for your community does not seem to much to ask.

"If the police and council continue to ignore this large community and calm ways of asking is not working, I think you should think of direct action."

Sue John, deputy leader of Brighton and Hove Council, who was at the meeting on behalf of the council, said the LGBT community was recognised as a vital part of the city.

She said the council was not discriminating against them in not allowing the rainbow flag to be flown from the town hall as it was council policy not to fly flags of other organisations, even the St George's flag.

Green Party councillor Simon Williams said Brighton police just paid "lip service" to the concerns of the gay community and did not treat problems of discrimination seriously.

James Ledward, editor of Brighton and Hove Gscene magazine, said: "If the police, council and community do not treat the concerns of the LGBT community seriously, we may have to think about Peter Tatchell's suggestions of direct action."

After the hearing, Detective Inspector Fiona Grant, head of Brighton & Hove's Anti-Victimisation Unit, said: "Sussex Police work closely with the LGBT community in the city.

"We also have a dedicated police officer, PC Mark Andrews, and a dedicated LGBT caseworker, Lisa Timerick.

"In the last two weeks detectives helped secure an 18-month conviction for a homophobic GBH.

"An anonymous self-reporting of homophobic incidents is being set up so even if victims don't feel able to approach the police we are aware of when and where homophobic crime is occurring."