THE boss of Blackpool Pleasure Beach has slammed the Government for treating tourism as nothing more than a "candy floss industry".

Managing director Geoffrey Thompson's outburst followed the renaming of the Department of National Heritage to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Mr Thompson fumed: "I find it difficult to comprehend why tourism has yet again been left out in the cold - we're not even named in the new department's title.

"Labour seems to be continuing Harold Wilson's attitude from the 60s that we're just a candy floss industry."

The new ministry was unveiled at a meeting between tourism chiefs and minister Chris Smith.

Blackpool South Labour MP Gordon Marsden said Mr Thompson's claims were nonsense.

"Unlike the Tories we produced a strategy document on tourism that was launched at Geoffrey Thompson's own Pleasure Beach last December," he said.

"Both Tourism Minister Tom Clarke and Chris Smith take a keen interest in the industry, using the strategy document."

Mr Marsden is part of a seaside group of Labour MPs, formed specifically to lobby for the industry.

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