DOES City of York Council not realise that this is a tourist city and tourists need to be able to see at a glance where to buy such commodities as film, ice cream, cold drinks etc?

To read that plastic flags advertising such items had to be removed in an attempt to "clean up the image of the historic streets" (November 29) is unbelievable.

Many other things are more important. I fail to see how a small plastic flag 7ft off the ground, weighing hardly anything, could possibly be "a potential danger to passers-by". Broken pavements, holes in the road, lorries too large for the streets maybe, but not a plastic flag. York council should get real and stop being so petty.

Mrs J Hields,

Irwin Avenue,

Heworth, York.

Updated: 11:44 Friday, December 06, 2002