It would seem that this crisis has brought out the best and worst in people. I am 70 years old and my husband 68. We both have underlying health problems that are not sufficiently serious to warrant priority on home deliveries. We have several small shops locally in Heworth, including a grocery store which is bravely keeping open at risk to the proprietors.

This morning I ventured out, as usual with my heart in my mouth, paying great attention to the need for social distancing. A family cluster was sitting on a wall near the entrance to an adjacent shop, making no effort to move, so I had to move out into the road. Then a mother plus two children on their bikes zoomed from nowhere and rode at speed along the pavement (a real nuisance at the best of times, let alone the worst), once more necessitating a need for me to move into the road.

After that a large young man came jogging at speed behind me and again made no effort to move away. Again I found myself in the road. These are selfish people with no social conscience, or so it would seem. I arrived home with my two full bags, absolutely exhausted.

This afternoon my husband has to go to Sainsbury’s to stock up on other items we can’t get locally. Another major stress.

Do these people not understand that the death toll in North Yorkshire is significant and that the numbers of people infected in York is rising each day?

Susan Elliot,

Heworth, York

Why should Ascot be allowed to go ahead?

Why should Royal Ascot races go ahead behind closed doors when other similar equine events have had to be cancelled? It doesn’t appear to be a particularly well-thought-through idea by those advising her Majesty the Queen.

Peter Rickaby, West Park, Selby