"Use them or lose them" is the warning from a Porthleven business owner who has urged residents to use the port's facilities and keep the area alive.

Roland Lowery, who runs Roland's Happy Plaice (sic) fish and chip shop, said he "despairs" when he hears Porthleven described as a "ghost town."

Mr Lowery explained: "We are trying to turn it from a holiday seasonal business, which was only open for six months in the summer, into a business which, barring a holiday in January, will be open all year. We want to be a part of the community in Porthleven. True, the main bulk of the trade will be 'tourists,' but people still live in Porthleven."

He said that he and his wife, Lindsey, could never have imagined closing their previous fish and chip shop business, in Barnsley, for six months of the year.

"I despair when I hear that it's become a ghost town - there are businesses there. There are people in Porthleven that want to make a go of it and want Porthleven to thrive," he added.

Mr Lowery urged people to "shop local" and the use the facilities that the port had on offer.

"Think about where you want to shop. Think about what you need and think, 'Is it in Porthleven for me?' Just support the people who are willing to make go of it in Porthleven. We are investing nearly £120.000 in the shop, buying new equipment and bringing new ideas in, while we are trying to please everyone with a good selection of quality produce, but we still want to keep it simple and traditional serving fish and chips," he said.

"The thing is, at the end of the day the residents in Porthleven must use the businesses that do make the effort to open in the dark winter days and nights, because we are here for them. It's just a case of making the extra effort and coming to support the traders in Porthleven."