OKEHAMPTON'S Mayor is 'very disappointed' that the town synonymous with the Ten Tors challenge has no teams entering the event this year.
Cllr Christine Marsh said it was a poor show that Okehampton, which promoted itself as the walking centre of Dartmoor, was not represented.
'Ten Tors is very important for Okehampton and for the young people — it is the main event of the year here and I am very disappointed that there are no Okehampton teams involved.'
Four hundred teams of young people from all over the country enter the moorland challenge each year and Okehampton College is always invited to join in because it is in the host town.
The college has been a regular competitor for 20 years, entering three teams each year.
Principal Philip Herriman said the teacher who had been in charge of Ten Tors for 20 years — Sue Baxter — had stepped down from the job recently.
'She gave us full warning — we knew a long time ago she was not going to continue with it,' he said. 'We thought we had someone to take it on but unfortunately at the last minute the arrangements fell through.
'It is a shame but it is one of those things — we will definitely be putting in a team next year.'
Okehampton ATC which normally has one or two teams taking part in Ten Tors has had to dip out this year because the structure of the divisions has changed.
The branch now comes under the Plymouth and Cornwall section instead of Devon, and the Cornwall teams have taken priority this year.
Civilian instructor Keith Brooks said that in the past Okehampton ATC had 'kicked up quite a fuss' when it was not asked to submit a team but with a reduction in numbers this year there was not really a sufficient amount of enthusiasts to form a team.
'We accepted the situation but there was a reduction in interest,' he said. 'We do have a drop in numbers occasionally but it is picking up now.
'We may not be a priority this year but we will be in 2001.'
He said some members of the branch had joined other ATC groups throughout the country who were taking part.
Secretary of Ten Tors, Major Mike Pether of 43 Wessex Brigade, which organises the event, said the officers were disappointed Okehampton was not represented as a team because it was very much a local event.
'The local sixth form college was invited to take part but if they choose not to there is nothing we can do — there are plenty of other teams who will take the vacancies,' he said.
Major Pether said he would welcome more involvement from the community in Ten Tors.
'There were many opportunities for the chamber of trade to become involved, for example, in distributing the magazines and engraving the medals, but there was not a great deal of response.
'We would certainly welcome a greater involvement — the chances are there — but we cannot force people to take part.'