THE death of every young person, especially one as able and promising as Megan Roberts, is an appalling tragedy.

You reported (Wednesday, March 12) that some of her friends are “calling for action” to prevent such deaths in the future. They want CCTV on the river banks and for the council to “protect us”, they say.

But it seems these river deaths happen after a night out, when a young person, in the early hours of the morning, is drunk and incapable of rational thought.

Many column inches were given to this item, including two photographs. But on a later page only two inches were given to a related item, reporting that Home Office Norman Baker warmly welcomed plans by York students to “set up their own Street Angels scheme”.

Fences, barriers and CCTV are useless in such cases; only common sense, responsible behaviour, and helping each other can prevent other such tragedies.

Joyce Pickard, Hansom Place, York.