THE decision of Terry's of York to leave the city is a great disappointment to residents, particularly the employees and their families, many of whom have had connections with the company for several generations.

However, our MP Hugh Bayley, the Evening Press and officers of the council should "get real".

They should realise Kraft Foods, which has no historical long-term connection with the city, will understandably make commercial decisions which take into account the value of the assets employed (for example the land and freehold property) and the cost of production etc.

This may well result in production being transferred to, say, Eastern Europe.

However well intentioned, a campaign to encourage an international holding company to change its mind at this stage is highly unlikely to succeed, and perhaps our council officers would be better employed by making increased efforts to improve and maintain relations with the remaining major labour employers based in York. For how long will Nestle's continue to maintain a base in York?

They too have worldwide opportunities which, I surmise, are constantly under review.

The Evening Press appears to have an inherent desire to be regarded as a "campaigning local newspaper", but I do wonder sometimes whether certain campaigns with which it has become associated are driven to a large extent by a wish to be an award-winning newspaper from a journalistic point of view.

Ian Collinson,

Longridge Lane,

Nether Poppleton, York.

Updated: 10:57 Monday, May 10, 2004