More than 200 people have signed the 'Giant Red Book' of 'condolences' at an office in Abingdon - to mark the imminent passing of the town's tourist information centre.

Regular users of the centre in Bridge Street are paying their last respects to an institution that has served not only visitors but townspeople with a wide range of local information, from bed and breakfast accommodation to booking bus and train tickets.

The office is a victim of cost-cutting by the Vale of White Horse District Council, which says it has to balance its books and save £1m this year.

A grant of £100,000 to Tourism South East has been withdrawn and offices in Abingdon, Wantage and Faringdon are to close. Fifteen full and part-time staff will lose their jobs. Trustees of the Vale and Downland Museum, where Wantage's information centre is based, are hoping to secure funding to provide a tourism facility within the museum.

The museum would like to be able to take on two part-time administrative officers who could deal with inquiries from tourists as well as carry out other work for the museum and sell tickets for events.