Thousands of visitors pass through Marlborough each year without ever seeing the High Street because the town centre is not sign-posted, it has been claimed.

Clyde Nancarrow, the chairman of the Merchant's House museum, told the new Marlborough Area Development Trust on Thursday that the town was missing out on a lot of tourist trade.

He said the problem was that there are no signs telling drivers there is a High Street or a town centre on the main Swindon-Salisbury route through Marlborough, which most holidaymakers heading for the South coast use.

Mr Nancarrow, who chairs the development trust's tourism sub committee, said: "You can drive straight down through The Green and out the other side of Marlborough without even knowing you are within 200 yards or so of the High Street.

"There must be thousands of tourists who drive through here every year and after they have passed through think to themselves 'that was a nice little village.'"

He said Marlborough should have the same official brown tourism signs pointing to the town centre as can be seen in other historic towns like Cricklade.

Jane Lee, the manager of the Tourist Information Centre in the George Lane car park, said signs directing people in the High Street to the TIC had disappeared since Kennet District Council closed its branch office, which was in the same building.

District councillor David Parker said he understood the sign had been demolished by a lorry but was to be replaced.

The development trust is one of three set up in the Kennet district to further the economic development of each area, improve commercial and business opportunities, maximise tourism opportunities, and provide enhanced education and training.

Former St John's School deputy head Melvyn Lillywhite chairs the Marlborough area trust, which is still at the formation stage.

The trust, which is receiving a £10,000 annual grant from the district council, for the first three years, is planning to publish a leaflet setting out its aims and information about the district.

Alan Houghton, Kennet's economic development service manager, said he had received an estimate for £880 for 1,000 leaflets, which Mr Lillywhite said was almost £1 a leaflet and excessive.

The trust agreed to seek local quotations for having the leaflets printed after Marlborough Festival director Nick Fogg said his organisation had similar pamphlets printed at a fraction of the cost. He said: "This appears to be extraordinarily high."

Mr Lillywhite expressed concern that the committee had not been made aware of the impending closure of the Ramsbury MBS medical supplies factory and that he had read about it in the Gazette last week.

He said: "I am concerned at these reported job losses and obviously the closure of that factory will come as a big blow not only for Ramsbury but for many other villages around as well."

The development trust meets again on January 11.