NOW that Ascot's two weeks gone and after all the congratulatory back slapping, let's get down to facts.

How much is to be charged to the council taxpayers?

I'm sure the Ascot committee, Yorkshire Forward and other charitable do-gooders who have contributed to the feat do not have bottomless bank accounts to pay for all the "abnormal" sprucing up that was carried out.

This includes several roadworks jobs near the racecourse, new traffic lights for races only, overtime work for cutting the grass, painting and general cleaning up, planning hours, new parking schemes etc

The list could go on and on. All this costs money.

It would be interesting to see how much money York Race Committee made out of this meet and how much they put towards the costs of all the sprucing up. I bet there is a far bigger profit margin percentage than there is a contributory percentage.

Let's face it the racegoers were herded so efficiently on to the course, they had no other choice where to spend their money.

Then the council and those involved with Ascot tell the York businesses that they will benefit from it in the long run. Who are they kidding?

Those that were herded to the races must have thought York only existed at the time of the Vikings and Romans because they never saw it!

Kevin Horner,

Albemarle Road,

York.

Updated: 10:05 Tuesday, July 05, 2005