BUSINESSES in Bude could suffer if Cornwall Council does not improve the town's beaches, according to Tourist Information Centre director Paul Tilzey. While bookings at the TLC are looking good this year, Mr Tilzey feels damage caused to the beaches during the winter storms could well prove a deterrent to visitors looking to holiday in Bude as soon as summer next year, making immediate improvement all the more urgent. He said: "The winter storms have stripped the beaches of sand and they are both littered with stones, and on Summerleaze, rocks that have been deposited from cliff falls that took place during the storms. "Some of these rocks are of considerable size, and you now have to cross a potential ankle-breaking minefield before reaching deeper water if you wish to bathe when the tide is in. "I believe that the state of the beaches at present has the potential to have a big impact on next year's bookings, and thus affect the town's tourist trade and income." For the full report, and a round-up of the area news and sport, see this week's edition of the Post.