EXACTLY when City of York Council decided to shoot Newgate Market in the foot no one seems to know. Somewhere along the line during a meeting a voice said: "Let's undermine Newgate Market by having special events in Parliament Street" and off they went.

The Newgate traders were not happy, they roared, they shook but did nothing more than snooze for four years.

Then the voice said: "Let's ignore the empty stalls on Newgate Market and have more and more events."

Then the Newgate traders woke up and said: "What are all these hit-and- run markets costing us?

"The revenue has fallen at our market and the council wants another £120 pounds off us next year." But the council wouldn't tell them what it was costing. They said it was "commercially confidential".

So the market traders and the citizens of York went back to sleep.

Brian Card,

Danesfort Avenue,

Acomb, York.

Updated: 08:53 Tuesday, September 23, 2003