IN answer to Roz Agar's question (Letters, April 8), the tree pruning exercise wasn't quite a first - the old West Yorkshire company had a specially converted bus to do this job in the 1960s - but it was the best way to solve the problem.

Lewis Tree Surgery did the work on behalf of City of York Council, while we supplied the bus which not only provided a safe working platform but also gave us a ready-made height gauge to identify which trees needed pruning.

The exercise was intended not only to ensure the safety of tour bus passengers, but also to prevent damage caused to other double deck buses by overhanging trees.

If you've ever wondered why the roof of a double deck bus looks bent and battered, the answer is usually trees.

Peter Dew,

Managing director,

Top Line Travel of York Ltd,

Hospital Fields Road,

York.

Updated: 09:37 Wednesday, April 13, 2005