I AM outraged that City of York Council has ordered the residents on St Helen's Road to remove their cars during Ascot week.

Who do they think they are?

The council put a note through the letter box stating we are banned from parking outside our houses for the duration to speed up traffic. The council must find another way. Send out another sheet allowing those with residents' permits to park outside their properties.

We have no alternative - we have three children under eight years old and have prams and shopping to unload. I don't have a driveway.

We also have a disabled father-in-law five doors away to look after.

We cannot walk half a mile under these circumstances and why should I have to?

It is inconceivable that the council have the power to banish us from outside our own front door in the name of traffic flow for a race meeting. This is replacing excited positive anticipation with an enormous amount of bad feeling so I ask the council to reconsider immediately.

Rosalind and Ian Hancox,

St Helen's Road, York.

Updated: 09:22 Wednesday, May 25, 2005