NOT only did Margaret Thatcher wreck the railways and ruin the country, she falsely claimed credit for perhaps her most famous policy.

So says a man who bought his York council house in 1970 - more than a decade before Mrs T's "right to buy" scheme helped keep her claws on power.

Albert Cockerill now lives off Borougbridge Road. But in 1953 he moved into a three-bedroom corporation property in Carr Lane, Acomb. It was where he and his wife brought up their son. They were happy there. So when he heard a neighbour had bought his council house, he inquired if he could do the same.

The council said yes and even provided his mortgage. The house cost - wait for it - £2,080 (it sold again a couple of years back for more than £120,000). Mr Cockerill moved out after his wife died in 1988.

He contacted the Diary to put the record straight. An appeal went in the paper a couple of days ago from Channel 4, asking to hear from people who bought their homes under Maggie's right to buy policy for a documentary.

"Mrs Thatcher had nothing to do with it," he said. And he's told Channel 4's researchers too.

"She ruined this country. She privatised all the proper industries.

"I worked on the railways. Look what's happened to them."

Point made, Albert.

CLIVE Booth is clearly a more caring, sharing Tory. York's Conservative Parliamentary candidate has certainly shared his thoughts on another hot Diary issue: who should be immortalised with busts placed in York Central Library's empty niches.

He points to the website visityork.org which "helpfully describes the following as some of York's finest": actors Dame Judi Dench and David Bradley (Argus Filch from the Harry Potter movies); authors Margaret Drabble and Kate Atkinson; composer John Barry; poet WH Auden; and former ITV Gladiator Hunter (aka James Crossley).

"Assuming Joseph Rowntree is added to the list, problem solved," writes Clive. Hmm. We're not convinced by his decision to select an ex-Gladiator and current nonentity from the website's list while excluding Mark Addy and Janet McTeer.

But at least there is "absolutely not a politician in sight. My plinth will come!" Clive gabbles heroically.

YORK architect Tom Adams' trademark black cat will be fixed on to his latest project, a holiday cottage in Murton, today.

Meanwhile his daughter has been dabbling in French diplomacy, Tom tells the Diary.

Louise Morales, ne Adams, lives in Carbourg, Normandy, with children Louis, 13, and Lucie, 11.

Louise was St Peter's School's first female student - thanks to Tom getting her across the threshold at 7am on the historic day when girls were first admitted.

And she has lost none of that get up and go.

When the mayor of Carbourg had to receive the Sri Lankan ambassador, Louise stepped in to provide instant Anglo-French translations.

Tom's reaction? "Extremely proud."

Updated: 09:30 Thursday, February 03, 2005