Poor judgement

It is one thing to contact City of York Council and argue that your research reveals this precise inadequacy, which is clearly a scandalous breach of the authority's wider duty of care; and then say that if the council fails to put matters right within, say, four weeks, the Evening Press will detail its "management failure".

As the picture improved, or not, then the Press would have a great story, and demonstrate how effective York's crusading paper is when working for the community's benefit.

Your editor's approach means that the best the Evening Press can claim is to have acted in the public's better interest because he unilaterally decided that people in York could have deluded themselves with a false sense of security.

The Press actually achieved a double-whammy: it raised concerns disproportionately and provided information which freely benefited criminals. Not so well done.

There was a legitimate story which needing reporting, but the Evening Press felt some need to become a part of the story itself. Is this what intelligent, even investigative, journalism is about?

My view of your coverage can only be negative until your proprietors change the occupant of the editor's chair.

When the Evening Press has an editor who understands there is a fine balance between a story - any old story - and further compromising public safety, the paper will regain my respect.

The Independent and The Times both demonstrate that reducing page size need not see ex-broadsheets emulate red-top tabloids with ill-considered sensationalism.

Nick Blitz,

South Lane,

Haxby, York.

Editor's note: "Since our story, all the defective cameras have been repaired, and the people of York are safer for it."

Updated: 10:57 Thursday, January 27, 2005