I HAVE lived in York all my life, that is more than 50 years, and I have not seen a council treat city businesses with such contempt.

Have councillors, especially Ann Reid, forgotten that we elect them and pay their allowances?

All those businesses featured in the Evening Press are demonstrating in detail the financial loss to their weekly takings as a result of these new, stupid parking regulations and fees.

Anne Reid says she has no difficulty in walking York streets as a female late at night. She needs to get in the real world. I wouldn't allow a female member of my family to walk the streets of York alone in the late evenings, and I am a retired police officer.

The number of armed robberies, street muggings and assaults reported in the Evening Press is frightening. A friend was seriously injured while walking in the city centre in broad daylight after being assaulted by a thug.

Ann Reid has twice indicated if businesses demonstrate by civil disobedience - or if a restaurant takes their commercial refuse business elsewhere (July 3) - that council tax may have to rise.

Coun Reid is wrong, because if business is lost by City of York Council, then the knock-on effect would be job losses in the private sector so wage bills and transport costs will reduce, so council tax could be reduced too.

Can't the council see they are killing off York city centre? Businesses will leave and go to other cities or towns where they will be made welcome.

City of York Council should listen and act for the people who elected them.

P Wright,

Oak Tree Lane,

Haxby, York.

...I WAS shocked to hear of the latest injustice to the wonderful work of the Samaritans in York by the evening parking charges.

The Samaritans' work is vital to many vulnerable people with problems, and to expect the wonderful volunteers who work in York to pay these charges is disgraceful.

We would often enjoy evenings at the theatre etc, but haven't been since the new charges came in and doubt if we shall. We will concentrate on Pocklington and Malton where parking is free - how it should be in York.

Think again York city councillors. This situation is scandalous.

Bryan R Lawson,

Burton Fields Road,

Stamford Bridge,

York.

...INTRODUCING evening parking charges, more yellow lines and on-street parking meters has quite rightly caused a storm of protest the like of which York probably hasn't seen for many years.

The responses in the Evening Press on Saturday, June 26 by the council's executive for planning and transport after a meeting of Goodramgate business people really takes some swallowing.

Coun Reid's excuse for increased parking charges is that the Liberal Democrat council is following a Labour policy by using parking charges to bolster budget deficits.

This is an insult to all those electors who were hoodwinked into believing that a Liberal Democrat council would do things differently to the previous Labour administration.

Unfortunately, York and its residents are saddled with a council that seems to lack new ideas and vision but excels in misleading the electorate at election times. The tragedy is that we have to wait another three years before the electorate can rise up and dump this discredited council into the dustbin of history.

Clive Booth,

York's Conservative Parliamentary Candidate,

Ash Street, York.

...Is there any truth in the rumour that there is now a massive waiting list of people keen to acquire a Ghost Walk licence in York, all keen to cash in on the Lib Dem's newly-created evening ghost tour?

KA Roworth,

Reighton Avenue, York.

Updated: 11:16 Thursday, July 08, 2004