ONCE again after a York race meeting about 30 arrests were made in the city, mainly attributed to the races (July 12).

How long are we going to have to put up with this behaviour on our streets?

If this had been attributed to football fans there would have been many column inches given over to how York police were telling us they are going to banish this behaviour from our streets and lock up the individuals concerned for many years.

Instead, because it involved racing supporters a perceived "upper/middle class" sport, it's all down to high jinks and merriment.

What a load of rubbish.

York races should be made to pay for the policing required for these events - not just at the racecourse but for the city centre during the night afterwards. Why should York taxpayers foot the bill?

Perhaps the magistrates should rethink the sentences given out. Will the perpertrators be given a prison term and banning orders from the races and public houses in York akin to those handed down to football yobs?

I doubt it.

Royal Ascot at York? Don't make me laugh.

S J Wood,

Gay Meadows,

Stockton-on-the-Forest,

York.

...ALTHOUGH it is about time something was done with York races and its neighbours over the parking and congestion caused, it is a great pity it has taken until the 21st century for some radical changes to take place ("Traffic buster for York races", July 7).

I live on the "doorstep" of the racecourse and for many years have seen ignorant parking away from the course just so racegoers can beat the rest of the crowd for a quick getaway (even though it is free on the course).

The trouble with these parkers is that most of them are York people.

With these new race-day suggestions they won't be able to do this and, hopefully, the local community won't have to look for alternative parking.

Why did we wait for an "Ascot" event to take place for these changes to happen?

I have seen the steady deterioration happening as far back as the early Eighties.

Are we so-called "cloth caps" governed by the snooty southerners demanding we mollycoddle them, or are the race committee and council out to impress the high ranking racing officials rather than Knavesmire's neighbours?

Finally, I wonder how long it will last after Ascot. I bet with each race meeting a little something will be taken away and, before we know it, we are back to square one until the next "big something" comes to York.

Kevin Horner,

Albemarle Road,

York.

Updated: 12:17 Wednesday, July 14, 2004