P McPHAIL may wish to consider in his letter (Unsightly city walls, June 29) that the grass and now wild flowers growing around our city walls offer sanctuary and feeding opportunities for our rapidly-declining bird and insect population and also is historically authentic as the groomed and slightly sterile look of cut grass is a phenomenon of the 20th century.

Taking this a little further, imagine what the Minster would look like surrounded by poppies, corn-flowers, wild daisies and long grass.

Jonathan Charles Bonner,

Huntington Road,

York.

...MR McPHAIL makes a valid point. The grass around the city walls is six feet high in places, the city streets haven't been washed this year, the toilets in St George's Field are boarded up, more than 200 geese have turned Tower Gardens into a filthy mess and the two dangerous steps in Tower Street are still unrepaired after 18 months, surrounded by unsightly barriers.

It appears that since the councillors helped themselves to a greater share of the city's budget things have deteriorated and, as they have already made plans to take even more of the budget for themselves over the next two years, things can only get worse.

Perhaps it is time to revert back to the days of voluntary councillors, in those days the grass was cut regularly and the city was renowned for its hanging baskets and floral displays.

D M Martin,

Fulford Road,

York.

Updated: 10:34 Wednesday, July 04, 2001