GRAHAM Horne must have been very lucky on his visit to Paris (Letters, March 23). My visit was not at all like that. In fact I have vowed never to go back. Every evening our children were subjected to men urinating in the streets.

We have never seen so much dog poo in all our lives, you could barely take a step and enjoy the architecture without having to keep one's eyes on the ground.

As for the public transport system, London's Underground is as clean as a whistle by comparison. Every time we travelled on the Paris Metro we were dismayed to see men actually defecating in the stations.

On the trains were homeless drug abusers - usually swigging booze from mineral water bottles - riding around all day begging. There was urine running up and down the floor on the train. I have never smelt anything like it in my life. The cleanest place in Paris must be the sewers.

Give me York any day. We live in one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.

Janet Peacock,

Anthea Drive,

Huntington, York.

Updated: 10:40 Thursday, March 25, 2004