SOME good advice to anyone thinking of attending the Ascot race meeting to be held at York racecourse next year: think again.

I attended the John Smith's Magnet Cup meeting on Saturday, July 10, when the official attendance was about 37,000. How the powers-that-be hope to satisfy projected crowds of 60,000 plus with the present facilities makes the mind boggle.

I have been going to this particular race day for the past 40 years, yet I have never before seen and experienced men having to queue for up to ten minutes to visit a toilet, and women having to queue for 15 minutes for toilets.

At the end lavatory in the grandstand-paddock I witnessed - along with nearby gate staff and security personnel - 20 to 30 men not even bothering to join the queue. They just urinated against a large van.

Come on, Mr Derby, get your hand in your pocket and let's have a lot more facilities to accommodate the massive crowds you will be expecting next year. It's all right putting up multi-million pound stands, but you have got to put the infrastructure along with them.

Brian Brown,

Roman Avenue North,

Stamford Bridge, York.

Updated: 11:10 Wednesday, July 21, 2004