I RECENTLY secured my bike with a kryptonite, SAS, side-winding locking mechanism only to return to find my seat stolen. Riding home perched precariously over a saddleless tube I considered that if City of York Council wants to encourage people to cycle they must ensure bikes left in the city are not stolen or tampered with.

Here is a plan that will provide a safe harbour for bikes, create a couple of part-time jobs and make money for the council to invest in cycling facilities.

Create 100 cycle rails, enough for 200 bikes, somewhere like St. George's Fields and employ an attendant or even two. The cost of leaving a bike for an hour could be 25p. So 200 x 25p would bring in £50 an hour.

Cyclists, would you pay 25p an hour to ensure your £500 mountain bike will still be there when you return or would you rather continue to park and gamble?

Brian McCusker,

St Oswald's Road, York.

Updated: 11:07 Thursday, April 25, 2002