HOW terribly noble of Mark Gladwin (Letters, September 26) with his feeble attempt to defend Labour MP Rachael Maskell.

Hugh Bayley, her predecessor, at least defended himself when his ideas conflicted with that of the citizenship of the city.

Apart from saying that Ms Maskell now lives in York, which is the least we can expect as she is the York MP, most of Mr Gladwin’s defence was focused on, according to him, my vicious personal attack against Ms Maskell.

If stating facts of what I and my family, who are citizens of York, have experienced in our daily lives – and we are not alone – is deemed a vicious attack, then so be it. The only other point Mr Gladwin highlighted was that Ms Maskell is not indifferent to the needs of local people.

Obviously, Mr Gladwin did not listen to her ludicrous speech at the refugee rally in which she spoke of not accepting 20,000 or 30,000, but to carry on accepting immigrants/refugees until saturation point is reached.

If this is not being indifferent to the daily lives of York citizens with the immense pressures it would put on the infrastructures of the city, then you, along with the person you are defending, are definitely from another galaxy.

Bob Waite, Windmill Rise, Holgate, York

 

I WAS amazed and horrified to read Helen Mead’s offering about how useless her daughter is (The Press, October 1). Shame on you, Helen.

Today’s young girls are bad enough at expecting everybody else to do things for them without a super lady like yourself encouraging them.

I hope at least some of it is tongue-in-cheek.

I only had sons but if I had mothered a girl she would be competent in the extreme.

Why on earth should any woman sit back and expect to be waited on?

Not in my book, I’m afraid.

Heather Causnett, Escrick Park Gardens, Escrick, York

 

I AM trying to trace my half-sister and two brothers.

Our father’s name is George Howard, originally from Huddersfield, approximately 80 years old.

The last time I saw them was in 1998 at the funeral of Nelly Dean, our grandmother, at Huddersfield Crematorium.

Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Please contact me at the address below or by phoning 01947 604772.

Ron Taylor, 13 Northway, Whitby, YO21 3PA

 

THERE are over 1,500 York people on the council house waiting list (Letters, September 24), yet still our local councillors argue pettily over building them.

In so doing they remind us that political points scoring never went away.

If it were 1,500 university students requiring accommodation, you can be sure that the footings would already have been dug.

Geoff Robb, Hunters Close, Dunnington, York

 

HIP, hip, hooray, the yellow lines in Heslington Lane have appeared overnight.

Although when I went down that road the following day, the owners of three cars parked on them must have been oblivious to them.

I only hope that as a result of the yellow lines we don’t see cars now being parked all the way down Broadway.

Maureen Robinson, Broadway, York

 

IF you are running in the Plusnet Yorkshire Marathon and have not yet selected a charity your sponsors could support, please consider Riding For The Disabled.

York Group RDA have a Just Giving page and will welcome your help. Have a good run.

Alan Ross, Group Trustee, Heworth Hall Drive, York

 

IF Baz Buchanan (Letters, October 1) had read the original article in The Press and not just my letter (September 25), he would have seen that only Cranbrook Avenue was described as a “rat run”, unless the writer of the article had got his facts wrong.

As a taxpayer who contributes to the maintenance of public highways, I have every right to use them, whether they are suburban streets or main highways.

In his own words, Cranbrook Road “is a tight street with limited sight lines on the bends”, so why would motorists use it as a “rat run”?

Surely the safest way would be to use Cranbrook Avenue and Almsford Road, which are both straight and wide.

By supporting the closure of suburban streets and causing increased congestion and pollution in other areas, is not Mr Buchanan going against the policies of his so-called Green Party?

Or, like most politicians, does he change his views in order to gain favour and votes when it suits him?

A P Cox, Heath Close, Holgate, York

 

I AM extremely disappointed by the inaccurate reporting and sensational headline about North Yorkshire youth crime (The Press, September 29).

The article states that county youth crime figures are double that in Greater Manchester.

This is both inaccurate and misrepresentative, apparently interpreted from an Independent article and information from North Yorkshire Police following an FOI request. The police response clearly states that their data should not be used for comparison across forces.

The facts are that youth crime in North Yorkshire has reduced by over two thirds since 2010 and we have one of the lowest rates nationally of young people entering the criminal justice system as first time entrants; an 83 per cent reduction between 2007 and 2014.

These are achievements worth celebrating; evidence of high quality partnership work to meet the needs of young people experiencing difficulties, to reduce crime, to support victims and to ensure public safety.

Last year’s HMI Probation inspection of North Yorkshire’s Youth Justice Service praised its high standards and quality work.

The media’s role is to stimulate awareness and provoke informed debate; this article achieves the opposite, undermining professionals’ good work and the excellent contribution young people make to the county.

Pete Dwyer, Corporate director of the children and young people’s service, North Yorkshire County Council

Editor’s footnote: The article included statistics showing youth crime in North Yorkshire had fallen each year since 2010.

 

A TAX by any name is still a tax. This latest penalty tax for using plastic bags seems to me the thin end of the wedge.

It all appears to go to worthy causes but perhaps this might not last for very long before that tax disappears into the communal coffers.

This green policy of stick and carrot by the Government could be carried out to the next level. Might there be a green tax on drunks? After a good night out it could be argued they might contribute to greenhouse gases with their ethanol-enriched breath.

Curry nights might be under scrutiny with all that belching and passing of wind.

Stealth taxes are not the answer because we all need to be held responsible for our planet’s future. Our litter burdened streets and polluted seas could well be our downfall as we still ignore the natural connectivity which makes up planet Earth.

We do possess the knowhow to create biodegradable plastic bags and we must apply that knowledge. However, a far simpler solution is rice paper bags, which could easily be made into an edible dessert after the main meal.

Phil Shepherdson, Woodthorpe, York