WHILE travelling the district on Thursday, one eyebrow was repeatedly sent skywards with a mixture of amusement and horror by the spectacle of numerous A-boards proclaiming City of York Council’s plan to ban A-boards (The Press, August 18).

This is yet another example of York’s increasingly alarming authoritarian streak.

Since achieving unitary status it is constantly reminding local people and businesses that as far as it is concerned, City of York Council is the boss and that those who pay business rates and council tax must follow its edicts.

The city’s hard-pressed traders, including pubs and small shops, would lose yet another tool with which to continue to pay their sky high business rates if these adverts were banned.

As I was on my travels, apart from the profusion of amusing A-boards for which I thank The Press, I was also struck by the continued proliferation of dilapidated yellow bicycles which remain strung up to trees, premises, street furniture and the like these past two years and more.

This prompted me to think that perhaps in this case City of York Council might be prompted to change course and direct its awesome majesty away from A-boards and towards these two wheeled eyesores.

Perhaps we can’t stop York from banning A-boards but surely these bicycles must be tackled first.

Denzil Vallance, Main Street, Great Heck