People are being urged to keep supporting their local shops in villages and towns around Dumfries and Galloway.The message was issued by Councillor Malcolm Johnstone and backed by Save Our Sands campaigner John Dowson in the wake of their bid to have the Whitesands flood defence scheme shelved in favour of re-inflating the region’s economy.Councillor Johnstone said: “I would just like to ask people in and around Dumfries to keep supporting their local shops during the coronavirus crisis. “They have stayed open to serve the public and I would urge customers to show them some loyalty and especially after the situation returns to normal and continue to shop at these stores.” He added: “A lot of shops in the towns and villages have stayed open