City of York Council have paid out over a quarter of a million pounds on gagging orders in the past year (‘Gagging orders’ cost York council more than £250,000 in one year, March 29).

It begs the question, what are they trying to hide from the public?

Mick Horsman, Moorland Road, York

Is there something embarrassing the council doesn't want us to know about?

The gagging orders (NDAs) expensively and liberally used by City of York Council (The Press, March 30) should rightly be called ‘We have got something embarrassing to hide from the public’ orders. The council can’t confirm that an NDA was imposed on Mary Weastell for the very reason that one was put in operation. Why have the minutes of the secret meeting that decided Ms Weastell’s fate, chaired by Cllr Keith Aspden, not been published? Or were no minutes taken?

Geoff Robb, Hunters Close, Dunnington