I APPLAUD the walk to school initiative going on at the moment.

My children have been making the journey from Holgate to South Bank on foot for most of their school lives, so long in fact, that they are extremely adept at dodging the yobs who persist in illegally riding on the footpaths.

York council encourages it with bits of cycle lane here and there then coming to an abrupt halt, and the police just turn a blind eye.

So if anybody gets injured I hope they take the culprit and the council to the compensation courts.

Robert Waite,

Windmill Rise,

Holgate, York.

Updated: 10:20 Friday, October 10, 2003