The Labour Party conference has left Brighton after four tumultuous days and some residents are questioning whether it should come back again.

They are saying all the security measures gave the city a threatening atmosphere and depressed trade in the centre.

But the conference was worth holding, firstly as a message to terrorists in any part of the world that despite their appalling attacks, business carries on.

Secondly, even a curtailed conference was worth millions of pounds in business to Brighton and Hove.

It didn't all go to the big hotels and restaurants. Some of it spread out to people like the security guards employed to help the conference run smoothly or the cabbies who carted conference delegates through the city.

Thirdly, it gave Brighton and Hove a huge dollop of publicity that positioned it firmly in the public mind as the place to be.

The eyes of the world were focused on Brighton for an hour on Tuesday when Tony Blair gave what many commentators regarded as the speech of his life.

If that speech goes down in history, as it well might, it will always be recalled that he made it in Brighton.

There were problems with security that affected many people and some of them were rather frightened.

But Brighton should never be a backwater and, by being bold, it has helped achieve a worldwide reputation this week.