I WRITE in relation to your story, 'Boy 16 waited 5 hours in a cell' (October 19), I feel I must express my concern over your reporting of this situation at York Magistrates' Court. In your story an impression was given of a lack of attention from City of York Council social workers in responding to the needs of a particular young man. Yet the reality behind the scenes was somewhat different.

We were made aware of the situation in the early afternoon and at the same time as seeking suitable placements for this young man our staff sought the assistance of one of our colleagues in the Youth Offending Team to be a presence at the court. Social work staff remained involved throughout the rest of the day and into the evening ensuring that the young man concerned was appropriately supported and placed.

It is disappointing that this item was reported without any contact with the local authority and as a result could raise understandable queries for the public about the work of council staff. This is particularly disappointing in the context of the announcement on the same day by Health Secretary Alan Milburn who, in a speech to the Annual Social Services Conference at Harrogate, placed York in the top ten performing social services departments nationally.

This acknowledgement is welcomed and children's services staff within the department should be congratulated for having contributed so significantly to this notable achievement.

Peter Dwyer,

Assistant Director,

Children's Services,

City of York Council.

Updated: 10:35 Friday, October 26, 2001