WHAT a bizarre individual Clare Brenton must be to make such a strange tirade about the unacceptable level of noise pollution created by 'York men' (Letters, November 9).

And this coming from someone who lives in London, the noisiest and most unpleasant city in the country!

If she knew anything about York at all, and the way things are in this city of ours, she would realise that the York man is a dying breed. With the influx of vast numbers of southern middle-class incomers to live in these lovely new houses no York person can afford, and the explosion in the number of students in the city, the York man is an endangered species.

Soon there will be very few of us left as generations have to leave the city because they can't afford to live here anymore.

My wife, like many wives living here, seems perfectly happy to have a York man but the question is - does any man want a 'London woman'? Because I can't think of a worse noise pollutant, can you?

Treasure York men, Ms Benton, because they pay a significant proportion of the taxes that are spent to keep this city beautiful for mean-spirited visitors such as yourself.

P Howden,

Marmian Drive,

Stockton-on-Forest,

York.

Updated: 09:47 Wednesday, November 10, 2004