YOUR report about rubbish-strewn streets damaging York's tourist industry (October 12) only touches on part of the problem. It is bad enough that visitors gain such a poor impression from the scruffy scenes we all see regularly but at least those streets in the city centre and on the tourist trail do receive some attention from the cleaning gangs, however inadequate their resources.

The hinterlands of York where people actually live seem to be rarely cleaned at all. My copy of 'Your Essential Guide to City of York Council Services' states that: "Our cleaning teams will visit all terraced areas once a week. Other areas will be cleared monthly and litter will be picked up fortnightly. We will clean your area by hand or by using mechanical sweepers, whichever is most appropriate."

I have lived in this road for over ten years and have hardly ever seen any street-cleaning carried out.

Most street rubbish is down to a thoughtless minority but untackled it does sadly lead to York being a very untidy city.

Michael Blakemore,

De Grey Terrace,

Avenue Road, York.

...I MUST add to the dialogue regarding litter in York. One of the first places that many visitors to this city see is the Park & Ride site at Askham Bar. This site is mid-way between the Tesco store and the York College.

Now, I was taught at a young age about not depositing litter in the street and this has stayed with me throughout my life.

However I was not fortunate enough to go on to further education, where, it seems, such lessons are totally disregarded by a large number of students. The result: carrier bags, sandwich packs, crisp packets, bottles and cartons discarded on to the footpath, into the hedges and bus shelter, in many cases just feet from litter bins.

Ian Anderson,

Ouseburn Avenue,

York.

...COULD your readers solve a mystery for me? Is it the same Gillian Cruddas complaining about the state of York's streets (October, 12), who was "lording" the praise heaped on the state of York's streets two months ago when the city won a "Thomas Cook" award?

P R Willey,

Burnholme Drive, York.

...I SIMPLY had to put pen to paper about the adverse comments about York street cleaners.

I am a taxi driver and start work at 5am every morning and can assure you that never once have I ever seen a cleaner "leaning on his broom".

Considering the vast amount of rubbish they move every morning I think it is very unfair to criticise them in such a manner.

Maybe resources could be transferred from York highways section where vast amounts of wastage takes place in erection of bollards, sleeping policemen, chicanes, road narrowing all of which can be classed as non essential.

Mr C P Hird,

York Road,

Haxby,

York.

Updated: 10:38 Tuesday, October 16, 2001