Late-night drinking in York is being linked to a rising tide of lawlessness. Chief Inspector Andy Bell has said: "York is a tourist city and we want to attract visitors, not discourage them by being seen as a centre for the binge-drinking culture" (Council wants to cut bar opening hours, April 19).
Firstly, I'd like to congratulate the Evening Press for obtaining a quote from any police officer in York.
The local police rarely answer their telephone these days... I thought they'd been cut off.
That aside, I'd like to take this opportunity to remind Andy Bell that York is not solely a tourist attraction. It is a living city; complete with tax-paying residents.
Most of our tourism comes in the form of day-trippers and if visitors can find little to interest them beyond a 12-hour period, then it should be no surprise that most of the residents are bored rigid.
At the risk of sounding like George Jean Nathan, perhaps York's citizens drink in order to make the place appear more interesting. It's about time the police and City of York Council snapped out of their 'Medieval Disneyland' tourism mentality and started to serve the people who actually reside here.
Kenny Lieske,
Balmoral Terrace, York.
Updated: 11:18 Wednesday, April 21, 2004
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