YOUR report on the "fury" of a visitor to York about the city council's management of the local goose population (19 August) needs to be weighed against the widespread feelings of local people who use (or would like to use) the city's green spaces on a more regular basis.

In Rowntree Park the number of geese and the mess they make has increased significantly in recent years despite the present management regime.

Many people now avoid using their local park because of concerns over the mess and potential health hazards caused by the presence of the geese and their droppings.

Given the significant investment of public funds on the renovation of the park in recent years it is disappointing that many people, particularly families with young children, feel unable to take advantage of the park and the opportunities it offers.

The recently-published Rural Development Service report recommends an integrated management strategy combining a number of techniques, for example a reduction in adult numbers, reproductive control and fencing to exclude geese (but not other wildfowl), such as that carried out by Wandsworth Borough Council in London.

This was apparently successful in improving the quality of Wandsworth's urban park lakes. Why shouldn't it work in York?

This is a city-wide issue and needs to be tackled on a city-wide basis, otherwise the problem will simply be moved from one area to another.

The city council needs to act sensitively, but it must act to facilitate public use of our green spaces.

We need to know how the city council proposes to deal with this issue in an appropriate and effective way, otherwise in years to come the recent investment programme for Rowntree Park will largely benefit the geese, rather than local people and other potential park users.

Dr Mike Heyworth,

Chair, Friends of Rowntree Park,

Norfolk Street,

York.

Updated: 10:21 Tuesday, August 23, 2005