AS A frequent visitor to Bournemouth and Boscombe beaches, I am continually mystified by the lack of surfers participating in their activity on the surf reef.

Yet again, there were many surfers in various locations when I was visiting the area last week, especially by the piers, but none on the reef.

While applauding the new look of the area around Boscombe Pier, attractive appartments, shop and cafe, the spending of millions on this under-used facility seems quite ridiculous.

I accept that surfers’ needs should be taken into account, but surely what our prime holiday resort should focus its spending on is family groups and traditional family holidays.

Surely this would bring a bigger return for our investment by way of visitors spending cash in shops, theatres, amusements, and, of course, hotels.

The Bournemouth Pier area, needs updating with modern toilets and catering, plus painting some rather dilapidated structures.

We don’t need grandiose schemes like surf reefs, we just need to re-discover what it was that originally attracted families to our area in years gone by.

DAVID JOHNSON, Wimborne