Concern has once again been expressed about the state of Tenby's South Beach.

In a letter to the Observer this week, local resident and photographer Mr. Graham Hughes, of Warren Street, highlighted the problem of disappearing sand and claimed that the situation was "much worse than it was a few months ago".

"As it is now, the beach is unsuitable for horse riding, ball games, kite flying etc.," he said. "This beach is now a stony beach, a very stony beach, and no longer, in fear of the Trades Description Act, can it be advertised as a golden sandy shore. Most of this condition is due to the removal of the groynes some years ago.

"The opening of the Bluestone project shortly at Canaston, is bound to affect the prosperity of both Tenby and Saundersfoot, especially with its more than ample accommodation and amenities," he continued. "Therefore, Tenby has to shake itself with regard to what it has to offer the family holidaymaker.

"There seems to be no action on the part of local authority to deal with the south shore, and so there is an appeal to hoteliers, boarding house keepers, traders, and citizens, to shout with loud voices to their MP and Welsh Assembly member, before Tenby, with its glorious sandy beaches for family holidays, gets written-off," concluded Mr. Hughes. When contacted by the Observer, a spokesperson for Pembrokeshire County Council said: "The amount of sand on South Beach, and indeed, on all beaches, is cyclical and can go up and down by several feet in just a couple of tides.

"The level of sand also depends on whether there are storms, which way they would hit the beach, and many other factors.

"During the winter, storms tend to take the sand off the beaches and the calmer weather in the spring brings it back again.

"Recognising the public interest in South Beach, Pembrokeshire County Council has in the past, commissioned consultants to examine the situation."