REGARDING St Peter's School's application to abolish a public right of way through its property, I feel this should be resisted vigorously. Public rights of way are ours and are part of York's heritage.

Why should yobs, thieves and vandals, who amount to possibly half a per cent of York's hardworking, law-abiding population, dictate these aspects of our environment?

If there is a problem, let's look for solutions not permanent closure. As the supermarket saying goes "once it's gone, it's gone".

It is said that there have been 45 recorded crimes in three years. It wasn't stated whether this was before or after CCTV cameras were installed.

Most law-abiding people would want to use the path in daylight hours, most of the yobs, thieves and vandals would use it in the dark with drunks as well using it as a short cut home from town.

What about applying the City Walls method whereby the path is gated, locked on an evening say 10pm in summer and possibly 4pm in winter?

K A Roworth,

Reighton Avenue, York.

Updated: 08:57 Wednesday, October 13, 2004