I FIND the comments by members of the Royal British Legion regarding the new wall adjacent to the Memorial Garden in Leeman Road rather extreme (June 26).

One would imagine from reading the report that the garden had been enclosed by a massive structure. Instead, far from being "monstrous" and likened to the Berlin Wall, this wall takes up one short side of the rectangular garden, is no more than four feet high, not very wide and is of a not unattractive mellow cream colour, like many prominent buildings in the city.

In no way can it be said to "desecrate" the garden, or that "a pleasant peaceful place has been lost". In my opinion, of greater concern to the people experiencing such sorrow should be the amount of litter regularly left in the garden, often for days at a time, by people who congregate there.

As for "tearing down" shrubs and hedges, the wall has replaced a broken fence, and shrubs which can easily be replaced and planted to screen the wall, as is pointed out in the report.

Regarding the new building itself, it is far superior to what it replaced and adds to the quality of the city.

Mrs L Woodfield,

Railway Terrace, York.

Updated: 10:38 Thursday, July 04, 2002