HAVING reached the age which necessitates nightly study of the 'Deaths' column of the Press, it has become clear that there is summat up! A check on the number of females who have died, compared with the number of males, reveals a serious imbalance to the extent that, on my reckoning, seven women die to every five men.

Is this true? Does anyone keep accurate records?

Why is it so and what is the reason?

Most importantly, how long will it be before York has run out of women?

We can't compare sexes at birth, because you no longer publish them.

Phil Fowler,

Bramble Dene,

Woodthorpe,

York.

Updated: 16:16 Friday, June 20, 2003