REGARDING the cull of the Rowntree Park geese, I am on one of my frequent visits to York and I'm astonished to find a city which I have always considered to be a centre of culture and civilisation is about to force through a measure which is vicious, unnecessary, and openly defiant of the wishes of the majority.

That Dame Judi Dench's offer of a home at her local sanctuary should be treated with such contempt that the council's chief executive, David Clark, has not granted her the courtesy of a reply, is extraordinary. Similarly, offers from elsewhere have also been ignored. All that is needed for the removal of the geese is a relocation licence from the Department of the Environment, Transport and The Regions, yet I understand the council has not even bothered to apply for one.

As a television director, I have spent much of my career making wildlife inserts for children's programmes, in the hope of fostering kindness and respect. Just what sort of example is the council setting its young citizens?

And how much distress will it cause to the many children who will be heartbroken if this shameful act is carried out?

Given that recent research has shown that those who are cruel to animals are also cruel to children, one may conclude that City of York Council doesn't care.

Leslie Pitt,

Gayton Road,

Hampstead, London,

...WHY cull the geese in Rowntree Park? Just employ those undertaking community service to hose down the paths and clean up the grass.

Don't kill the geese.

Catherine Pickard,

Middlethorpe Drive,

Dringhouses, York.