YOUR article 'Nasty niffs' (August 17) had me reeling in disbelief.

I read that City of York Council is at last going to do something regarding the smells from the sewage works on Shipton Road 'because visitors are complaining'. I find that rather strange because we residents have been complaining for as long as I can remember and nothing has ever been done about it.

We live day in day out with the foul smell. Some days it's so bad it makes us gag.

Our houses are permeated with the 'wonderful aroma' and eating alfresco has added a new dimension to the taste of food.

Funny that it only takes someone as important as a visitor to get something done.

It seems the complaints of 'common old residents' who incidentally pay York Council Tax, fall on deaf ears.

Maybe we should start withholding council tax until something is actually done - the council may suddenly get its hearing back.

Mrs C A Ward,

Shipton Road,

York.