DOUG Barnes paints a bleak but one-sided picture of life at Scarcroft Allotments (Letters, Nocember 12).

Most of the time young and old, rich and poor, derive enormous pleasure from growing vegetables, fruit and flowers and from working in partnership to make a remarkable part of York's heritage even more special.

In so doing, we are also determined to ensure the place will be there for future generations: they will need it even more than us. I hesitate to disagree with Doug at all - everyone at Scarcroft values his long-standing commitment to the place - but I must disagree in four important respects.

Firstly, there is no evidence that criminal damage on the site "increases each month".

Secondly, while allotments sites such as ours may once have been regarded as "soft targets", active associations such as ours are working hard to change this, with steady success.

Thirdly, the alarms on sale in our hut are proven deterrents which make intruders think twice.

Fourthly, because of the absence of lighting and the topography of our site, PC Dave White, with whom our association works closely, is on record as saying that security cameras which cannot see in the dark would be ineffective even if they were affordable.

Your readers are welcome to visit Scarcroft Allotments at any time to see how productive and beneficial these small plots are - and what fun it can be to tend them.

Norman Maitland,

Chair of Scarcroft & District Allotments and Amateur Gardeners Association,

South Bank Avenue,

York.

Updated: 10:14 Thursday, November 27, 2003