A REGULAR user of York's Bar Walls has slammed the city council over the spread of greenery on to the historic buttresses.

Dale Minks, of Ancress Walk, York, says these pictures of the walls and flagstones show a worrying increase in ivy, foliage and grass.

In a letter to the Evening Press, he said: "It's wild ivy, grass, moss and dandelions, of Premier League proportions.

"The flora, especially the creeping ivy, which can do damage to the wall surface, should be treated annually with a touch of 'wintergreen' or weed-killer."

He added: "While this rubbish remains, York citizens will 'never walk alone', or 'hold their heads up high'!"

Darrell Buttery, chairman-elect of York Civic Trust, praised Mr Minks for his efforts to bring the problems to light.

"It is not wise, at any time, to neglect routine maintenance, particularly for the walls, which are so much visited and so enjoyed," he said.

"It encourages me whenever anyone, either from York or outside, draws our attention to something like this.

"We cannot know all these things ourselves, so it is good that there should be many pairs of eyes looking out, and then taking the trouble to contact the Evening Press, and us, to see if something can be done about it."

But City of York Council archaeologist John Oxley said that not all the greenery was a bad thing.

"There has been a change of thinking, with regard to the walls and the greenery," he said.

"It now emerges that the ivies and other foliage, which are a by-product of the soft, lime-based mortar we use to point the walls, are not damaging to the walls, and can actually provide protection for the winter."

He said the council had made use of the National Trust's work at Fountains Abbey, where it was now policy to allow ivy to grow freely.

"It can also be aesthetically pleasing," he said.

The grass clumps, he said, were a different matter.

"We actually have a regular programme of going round the walls, ripping grass and saplings out, and killing them off.

"We certainly agree with Mr Minks that it shouldn't be there, but we do our best to remove it."

Updated: 10:43 Saturday, November 17, 2001