FULL marks to the campaigners fighting to stop the Tourist Information Centres at Brixham and Paignton from being closed down.

If mayor Nick Bye is so desperate to cut costs he can surely find less valuable targets in his sprawling empire.

I have little knowledge of what goes on in those endangered offices but contacts in Brixham tell me they are passionate about their survival. They say the idea that 'information hubs' (that word again) in shops and other places could do the job just as well is plain ridiculous.

One TIC I do know well and value is the one in Totnes which so far (I hope) is not under threat. I am a frequent visitor and have seen the patient help given to visitors who are not quite sure what they are looking for. It is not only about the best bed and breakfast to be had, but all sorts of strange queries about matters essential to an enjoyable holiday.

Many visitors are from overseas with just a smattering of English and require patient attention from someone willing to listen and ready to look up sources of information. I doubt if people busy with their proper jobs at those 'hubs' would have the time to listen properly.

Did I just call it a Tourist Information Centre? When I used the term to an eminent Totnes councillor recently I was roundly ticked off. The name changed a long time ago, I was told. It is now called, more simply, the Information Centre to emphasise its increasing importance to local people.

I accept the rebuke but someone really should change that misleading sign right outside the front door.