ACCRINGTON’S Tourist Information Centre is showing a ‘significant increase’ in visitor figures and enquiries.

The town-hall based office has recorded 3,348 enquiries taken by their staff last month alone – an increase of 673 enquiries, compared with the 2,675 enquiries dealt with during the same period in 2008.

The increase follows a respectable tourism scoring for the TIC at the Northwest Tourist Information Centre Conference earlier this month.

Mystery shoppers who had visited similar centres at towns and cities in the region gave Accrington a higher rating than Lancaster and Manchester.

However, the centre was marked down for lack of signage and lack of a large map.