YOUR correspondents Alan and Jean Dickinson (October 13) touch on something I have wondered about when they speculate that the closure of the public footpath from Clifton through St Peter's School may be followed by a similar closure of the path between Westminster Road and Queen Anne's Road.

I strongly oppose the closure of the public footpath through St Peter's School, which I use regularly. However, I cannot see how such a closure would significantly assist the school's security since any mischief-makers could still easily gain access to the school grounds from the Westminster Road/Queen Anne's Road path and then across the playing fields.

Unless St Peter's would then seek to close that path as well in order to obtain a completely enclosed site?

The closure of public footpaths should be resisted and refused. But I am sure there could be no reasonable objection to gates being provided at the archway and by the cricket scoreboard which could be locked overnight between specific times; this may be compromise which could satisfy everyone.

Michael Blakemore,

De Grey Terrace,

Avenue Road, York.

Updated: 09:35 Tuesday, October 19, 2004