After visiting my hometown, York, two years ago you published my letter in which I expressed my disgust at the way the people responsible for the upkeep of the city had ignored the fact that it was full of empty, derelict shops with rubbish in the streets.

I have just been on another visit and admit Skeldergate is marginally better but was dismayed to find more empty shops, not even boarded up, and rubbish inside on view to all visitors.

Hardcastle's at the corner of Stonegate and Petergate, once a fine jewellery shop, is now one of those empty stores. The phone number of the estate agent is displayed on the window so there is no excuse for the authorities not to contact these people and have them clean things up.

While in York I read a letter in the Evening Press from an overseas visitor complaining about the filthy and unhealthy toilets in Parliament Street.

Add that to my complaints and you wonder how the authorities can let such a beautiful historical city remain in such a state.

Even so I still recommend my US friends to visit York, hoping that things have been cleaned up before their visit.

Dorenda Hubbard,

Annandale,

Virginia, USA.

... IN reply to Mr Wrigglesworth's letter about the state of King's Cross station (Shocked by litter, October 4), there are no bins because they make ideal places to leave bombs. Litter is left by people because there is no provision for them to place it elsewhere. There should be regular cleaners to tidy the mess up.

Clive Appleyard,

Westminster Road,

York.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.