LOOK at the pictures of Dorset’s beaches from the past weekend and you might wonder whether there was any sand to be seen.

The huge visitor numbers will be a welcome boost for an economy that could do with a bit of good luck.

We should spare a thought for those in the tourism sector who work hard when it seems the rest of the world is relaxing. They have to be always ready for a heatwave or a deluge – whichever the British weather brings.

They work hard, often for not much money, and are the backbone of the industry on which our towns depend.