IT cannot be said City of York Council has not been at the forefront of attempting to keep the city centre cleaner - chewing gum removal, general litter control, dog fouling, graffiti, for example. Indeed penalties for offences are increasing.

However, I was dismayed last Saturday at 1pm to see a horse-drawn carriage driving down Davygate whose driver totally ignored the fact his animal had decided to evacuate its considerable bowels down the middle of a very busy, traffic-restricted area near the food festival, which is all a pedestrian area.

Travelling on obliviously, he was followed shortly by a second similar vehicle whose driver was pointing out to his starry-eyed visitors the rooftops and shop frontages of a beautiful city.

Fortunately he had the presence of mind not to point out the piles of droppings that lay before him, which made the lowly piece of chewing gum in the gutter almost insignificant. These operators are not working in the town on a voluntary basis. They are in business making money.

Do they pay extra tax for street cleaning and are they liable to fines or do taxpayers fork out as usual?

Don Bowerman,

Nelson's Lane, York.

Updated: 10:40 Wednesday, July 27, 2005