Sir,

Mr. Evans who wrote last week on the dangers of demonising second home owners is absolutely right.

We all want to see more permanent residents in Tenby. We all want to see homes filled with families instead of being left empty. But we all need to be realistic about the economic facts of life and the fact that employment in Tenby outside of the tourist trade is very limited.

Unlike everyday holidaymakers, second home owners are showing a commitment to the town by investing in it. Many of them start by having a holiday home and retire to Tenby full-time - my wife and I were in this category. Others who are working part-time, especially towards the end of their careers, find themselves spending more and more time in the town.

With the development of improved internet connections many people are able to work where they choose and only go into London or Cardiff for meetings. This is the new category of mobile workers that Tenby needs to attract if it is to prosper. Many of these dip their toes into the water by buying a second home and then finding that they want to spend most of their time in the place of their choice. Paradoxically, one way of attracting more permanent residents to Tenby is to welcome them in the first place as second home owners.

Douglas Fraser,

Tenby.