HOW sad to see King's Square now that the familiar and beautiful willow tree has been cut down. Any loss of a tree from our city is a matter of concern, but surely it raises the opportunity of re-planting a replacement.

This could be a Millennium tree planted in the first year of a new century and could be a semi-mature chestnut or oak.

The tree could be sympathetically lit, a time capsule compiled by York citizens could be buried within its roots with a small plaque describing when it was planted and by whom. As our city continues to suffer deteriorating air quality from vehicles we need more, not fewer, trees.

It would be interesting to see what the air pollution figures were during the petrol "crisis" in central York and also now, following the temporary closure of Lendal Bridge which has greatly improved the whole area around Museum Gardens, Deangate, and Exhibition Square. I am sure there will be many who, like me, hope Lendal Bridge will be permanently closed to non-essential traffic as soon as possible.

Jonathan Charles Bonner,

Huntington Road,

York.

...REGARDING the ash tree in King's Court, it is certainly more than 80 years old and it did stand in the corner of Holy Trinity's graveyard.

I was born at 1 The Shambles 81 years ago and was told my pram was put under this tree. It was certainly a mature tree during the whole of my childhood.

I sincerely hope it will be replaced with a worthy, dignified specimen and not some poor little thing encased in a wire cage.

Mrs J Douglas,

Thanet Road,

Dringhouses,

York.