Yesterday (September 30) saw the closure of Brighton’s Visitor Information Centre next to the Royal Pavilion – an event that should not be allowed to pass without acknowledging the hard work of the staff who managed and ran this centre.

Many residents probably won’t have had occasion to visit this place and so perhaps won’t appreciate what went on there.

Every day the staff answered hundreds of enquiries from visitors, giving them directions, helping them find accommodation, selling them train tickets and more. Some of the things they were asked would tax the brains of the most avid Brightonians. Their knowledge is encyclopaedic and they dealt with visitors in a charming, friendly and professional manner, often in a variety of languages.

While the amount of money Brighton and Hove City Council is being forced to cut from its budget is staggering, it is still difficult to understand the logic behind the decision to close this centre.

In a city with an economy (and a large number of local jobs) which depend heavily on tourism, this measure seems completely counterproductive.

A new delivery model for visitor services is being put in place but, in my view, it cannot match the service currently offered. The knowledge and expertise gathered over the years by the staff who worked there will be gone forever.

At the very least we should say a big thank you for the contribution they have made to the local tourism industry and to the city in general.

Chris Childs, Stanford Avenue, Brighton