AS a first-time visitor to York, I am astonished by the amount of noise pollution which is tolerated by your council.

The overall firework noise on November 5 and the ear-splitting, ground-shaking barrage which emanated from the racecourse on November 6 were unbelievable.

However, I have now found out why this is. My hosts and I took a stroll by the river on Bonfire Night. Crowds had gathered on the banks by the Millennium footbridge and I noticed, as an interested bystander, that plenty of women (though not, strangely, children) were present, but that all the fireworks were being let off by middle-aged males in shell-suits.

Males trying to prove that they are big, bold, manly men, capable of doing big, bold, manly things.

Having let us all know that the men of York - and of York council - have a problem, they may as well start spending their money, not on giant rockets, which fool nobody, but on the sort of therapy which specialises in providing remedies for damp squibs.

Noise levels in your city may then return to an acceptable level.

Clare Brenton,

Cambridge Court,

Cambridge Heath Road,

Bethnal Green,

London.

Updated: 11:45 Tuesday, November 09, 2004