Wayland Van Hildyck-Smith, of Forde Park, Newton Abbot, writes:Walking around Teignmouth I noticed the excellent and clear directions on the several finger posts situated around the town, a boon to anyone not acquainted with the layout of some of our larger towns.Why, therefore, are those in Newton Abbot, a premier market town, such a disgrace after years of complaint?Three years ago, in an endeavour to get the broken and wrongly pointing finger post at the clock tower end of the town replaced – all else having failed – Michael Chequer, of the BBC, did a live broadcast while publicly scrubbing it down.It succeeded inasmuch as it was removed shortly after this, since when it has never been replaced; in fact there is no provision for it in the new enhancement pedestrian area's new paving, which has been finished some time now.Worse than this, the two remaining prominently placed posts have suffered major further deterioration and vandalism. what an advertisement for a town which has spent so much money on its enhancement programme to ignore these highly effective 'what and where' indicators. Yes, we have a wonderful tourist information centre, but why should it be troubled with questions such as where is the library; where is the station? the taxi rank? These fingerposts offered the information.Three years is a long time for one to wait and as the original 'excuse' for not attending to the one at the tower end of town has long run out – it will be replaced when the pedestrian area there is completed. what, I wonder, is the current excuse for this pathetic state of affairs? these fingerposts give visitors vital information.The last pair of town gates have now gone for renovation so why not include these vital small items, because they are needed?I suppose some overpaid idiot thinks they are old fashioned, out of keeping with the modern day and would like some ghastly chrome and polished steel substitutions.Forget it, this is an ancient market town, with in-keeping and long-standing directional information being given on the tasteful posts which have been in situ longer than I can recall, and would serve many more years, were they legible and not broken.

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