AFTER one year of operating as a private company Skipton's Tourist Information Centre has ceased to operate on a Sunday and is reducing its opening hours during the week.

The Jackson Partnership took over the running of the TIC from Skipton Town Council last year.

From June 4, the office in Craven Court will not be open to serve Skipton's tourist trade on a Sunday, and from June 26 it will be opening at 10am Monday to Friday, as opposed to 9am.

As a result of this, the eight or nine part-time staff will have their hours reduced to fit in with the shorter opening times.

A spokesman for the TIC board of directors said: "These changes are being introduced following an appraisal of our first year of operation and will not affect levels of service provision."

He said that it was no longer viable to open on a Sunday and that he thought the old tourist information centre had not opened on this day either.

He added that being at the back of Craven Court where the other shops were only open from noon on a Sunday might have affected the trade.

The spokesman said that manager of the centre Jean Phillip had also resigned from her position and finished work this Tuesday. A new manager would be sought in the future.

He concluded: "The board of directors are now taking an increasing hands-on role in the day-to-day running and future development of the TIC."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.