Reading Saturday night's Evening Press made me realise we live in a strange world. There was a feature on the hunt supporters - 3,000 of them - protesting to carry on their activities.

While sitting in my chair reading the Press, I could hear animal cruelty in action against beloved pets in our own homes.

I refer to the "new" York, the York which sounds as if it is twinned with war-torn Baghdad. So-called fireworks in the hands of idiots that sound like bombs terrify most domestic pets.

Why doesn't Tony Blair spend as much time debating the banning of fireworks as he does fox hunting?

I have no opinion one way or the other about foxhunting, but I do have one about fireworks. Ban them, except at organised displays.

The other feature was about the police having to cut back on costs. Travelling to Tadcaster on Sunday morning at 9.45am I saw three police cars - blue lights flashing - parked on the A64 near the Buckles Inn.

A car had ended up in the hedge backwards, probably some hours before I guessed, because no ambulance was in attendance.

Another police car soon arrived on the scene.

I passed again at 10.30am on my journey back to York and the three police cars were still there.

The moral of the story seems to be: put a car through your garden hedge, and you will get all the coppers you need!

Stuart Wilson,

Vesper Drive,

Acomb,

York.

Updated: 11:57 Tuesday, November 04, 2003