Otley finally has a tourist information office again - after the shock closure of the Boroughgate office almost a year ago.

But the service - which will be run in the library - has been criticised as not being enough for the town.

And there are fears that people will actually be turned off the town because of the library's cramped conditions.

An extra worker has been taken on at the library and special training has been given so staff can answer tourism

questions.

But there are no plans to extend the opening hours of the library which at

present is closed on Wednesday mornings, after 3pm on Saturdays and not at all on Sundays.

And a sign on the outside of the library directs visitors to the nearest TIC office in Ilkley when the Otley office is closed.

Councillor Graham Kirkland (Lib Dem, Otley and Wharfedale) said: "Everything is squashed in. At the moment, if you want to look at a book on the bottom shelf you have to lie on the floor and that was when it was just a library.

"It doesn't make any sense, they are

prepared to employ extra staff but not

prepared to open on a Sunday.

"Unless they open on Sundays it will detract from the service considerably."

Coun Kirkland said he believed tourists would be less than impressed with the service.

"Visitors won't tell their friends about it and that is the best advert a town can have.

"Any self respecting town in England or abroad has signs directing visitors to tourist information centres all over the place.

"People just won't come to Otley. The best bits of the town are the hidden parts and there won't be anyone who knows about them."

A spokesman for Leeds City Council's leisure services department said: "Following the appointments last Autumn there are now eight fully trained staff who are able to provide a quality information service in response to library and tourist information enquiries at Otley Library and Tourist Information Centre."