I WISH Gillian Cruddas, along with the rest of York's bureaucrats, would liven up a bit. Her comments in the press concerning the proposed "sexy dancing clubs" in York left me spitting (April 14).

Far from objecting to the sexist exploitation of these low paid women shift-workers, she gets all moralistic about how such venues would not help York Tourism Bureau's efforts to target Americans, Belgians, Dutch and Germans, and slightly older people.

She goes on to say that York "might be an interest" to "large single sex parties" - in other words, men - "but we are not proactively encouraging these groups".

It's wishful thinking on her part that York becomes the Bangkok of European sex tourism, and surely she can't be serious about the Belgians, Dutch and Germans, who must all be laughing about England's stupid morality and licensing laws.

Doesn't she realise that in order to get older you have to be young? This city belongs to everyone and not just the mediocre middle class that Mrs Cruddas seems to enjoy siding with.

I say let everyone come to York - young, old and of every nationality - and let them find not a closed up, expensive city of dubious myths and fairground attractions masquerading as historical reality, but a city moving forward, away from the stifling, wrist-slapping city that Gillian Cruddas wants to promote.

Paul Furness,

Lower Darnborough Street,

Clementhorpe,

York.

Updated: 10:58 Wednesday, April 20, 2005