AS PROJECT manager for York's Christmas lights for the past two years, and as a voluntary member of the Christmas lights team since 1998, I am well placed to answer the letter from Jocelyn Appleyard (Letters, September 17).

Firstly, if Ms Appleyard knew the Christmas lights were lit during the day then obviously they could be seen, regardless of any residual light levels.

Secondly, Ms Appleyard is clearly not as observant as she claims: NPower sponsored the Christmas lights in 2001, so their sponsor boards were not present last year. In fact, no sponsor boards were erected in 2003 because City of York Council funded the entire project.

Incidentally, the lights used in 2001 were a different design to those created for York in 2002 and 2003, so I wonder if your reader has actually visited York during Christmas in the past two years?

York has faced plenty of justified criticism in previous years, but the seemingly unrecognised effort put in over the past three years by city centre management has raised the bar considerably.

It is still very much our hope that the excellent work started by City of York Council will be continued, with more streets contributing to the scheme.

Health and safety measures, plus liability costs, have rocketed, which is one of the reasons why we are struggling, but the efforts will continue, we will do what we can this Christmas and we are already looking at the fund-raising drive for 2005 and beyond.

Mark Brayshaw, Christmas Lights Project Manager, c/o Rockin' Horse Promotions, Fewston Drive, Clifton Moor, York.

Updated: 11:02 Tuesday, September 21, 2004