WITH the revelation that cycling is down by a third, this is no surprise to me.

Recently a young vulnerable girl was assaulted on Scarborough Bridge.

This area is poorly lit at the best of times so gangs of thugs roam freely there.

Is it about time City of York Council pull their finger out and free up their cash cow which the Government has given them; is it about time our free rolling crime was tackled by adequate policing and perhaps a solution is to reintroduce National Service for these juveniles who have nothing better to do than create havoc within our streets?

Phil Shepherdson,

Woodthorpe,

York

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Planning decision does not seem fair

IS there such a rule for green belt protection ?

It does not seem fair to jeopardise Pavers' plans to extend there business by not allowing them to build on a small amount of green belt when the council passed plans to build 80 + houses also on green belt land (Eastfield Lane Dunnington) without highways consent for construction traffic accessing the green belt site.

Terry Molloy,

Eastfield Lane,

Dunnington,

York

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Charles has hardly put a foot wrong

IT is totally unacceptable to throw an egg at a visitor who has not, apart from his behaviour towards Diana, put a foot wrong.

His Prince's Trust has done a lot to help young people trying to make well in the world.

His interest in the environment surpasses that of any of here today and gone tomorrow prime ministers.

I just wish he had gone to Cop 27 in defiance of Truss and Sunak. At least he has a genuine interest in the environment.

But chucking eggs? Farrage, maybe, Charles, no!

Brian Ledger,

Copmanthorpe,

York

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Will protestors go without heat this winter?

PLANS are afoot to import gas fracked in America.

This should create a dilemma for the anti-fracking brigade; do they disconnect their gas fires / boilers and go without heat, or do they cast their principles aside remaining warm and snug. Experience of life suggests the latter in nine cases out of ten.

Peter Rickaby,

West Park,

Selby,

North Yorkshire

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Questions remain over services for prison staff

I WAS delighted to read that a new prison is to be built especially as this will create more than 600 jobs, although it is not clear if these will be temporary construction workers or the subsequent prison staff.

However I should be interested to know how much thought has been given to the medical, dental and educational needs of these workers and their families and also the travel infrastructure to enable them to get from their place of residence to their place of employment.

Graeme Robertson,

Tadcaster Road,

York

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It's the taxpayers who will be paying

IN your report on hotel accommodation for asylum seekers and the views of a former Lord Mayor it is said the Home Office is paying for the rooms.

This isn’t correct. The Government in general and the Home Office in particular do not have any money of their own. They can only pay out money when they have first taken it off individuals and organisations.

It is we taxpayers who are funding the requisitioned hotel rooms in York.

Matthew Laverack,

Lord Mayors Walk

York