As the 2012 Olympics are only a few days away, my family and I decided we would enjoy the sunshine around Portland before the world comes to watch the sailing events.

At the end of the day, we decided to call into the Chesil Beach centre for an ice cream and walk across the beach.

We parked the car and had to pay an extortionate price for a minimum of two hours’ stay.

We entered the new visitor centre, only to find that we were greeted by an empty shell of a building and felt very unwelcome, as we did not want to spend £2.50 for a glass of Coke or buy venison burgers for £13.95 each.

There was not an ice cream to be found and for a new £1million buliding, the toilets were smelly.

There were also no information boards anywhere to inform visitors to the area about the beautiful Chesil Beach and its wildlife.

I would have thought, with only a few days to go before the Olymipic opening ceremony, that we would have a visitor centre to be proud of, which welcomes local people as well as visitors.

I think perhaps the Dorset Wildlfie Trust and Weymouth and Portland Borough Council should have spent their money on conservation projects, such as the protection of the Little Tern, than building another restaurant.

Jen Newman Jestys Avenue Broadwey Weymouth