Tourist bosses scotch fears
Fears a £500,000 Mid Wales visitor and tourist information centre had closed have been scotched by the trust that runs it.
Fears a £500,000 Mid Wales visitor and tourist information centre had closed have been scotched by the trust that runs it.
Bosses said it was simply a case of "the rumour mill getting out of control".
But the group behind the Offa's Dyke Centre, which runs alongside the tourist information centre in Knighton, have decided to close the gift shop for business reasons.
As a result the full-time manager was made redundant and reduced winter opening times have been introduced earlier than planned.
Concerned residents contacted the Shropshire Star amid fears the two centres, which operate from the same building in West Street, had closed altogether.
The Knighton area is very popular with walkers using the Offa's Dyke Path and Glyndwr's Way trails as well as benefiting from the advice and information at the two centres.
Kim March, a trustee of the Offa's Dyke Association, said there was simply no market among walkers for items such as tea towels, therefore the decision was taken to shut the gift shop and continue selling only the most popular items.
Mr March said: "We run the gift shop to fund the tourist information centre, but when one looks at its financial performance, the gift shop had to cease trading.
"We had two employees, one part-time and one full-time, and the part-time employee is still working with us, but now as a member services administrator."