SO it's farewell then to Jeremy Banyard, the scourge of City of York Council and our beloved chief constable (Letters, November 17).

I wonder if the good citizens of Ripon are ready for him.

His parting shot is to say that none of our councils have a clue how to run an historic city. The trouble is that we live in an imperfect world and people do tend to make mistakes sometimes.

I would think that most of our councillors, whatever their party, did not seek election for personal gain or glory but to serve the community and make York a better place to live in.

We should, by all means, criticise them when necessary, but I believe it should be constructive criticism.

They are working on our behalf and we elected them.

I have hardly ever agreed with what Jeremy has written, but I do think that it's wonderful that we live in a free society where we can openly criticise our leaders and rulers. I lived for 12 years in a country where comments like his would have resulted in him being arrested. I am sure we wish Jeremy and his wife all the best in his new life in Ripon. But it won't be a perfect place.

Stephen Burdon,

Cornlands Road,

Acomb, York.

Updated: 10:22 Wednesday, November 23, 2005