I AM very concerned to learn City of York Council is proposing to withdraw funding from Stagecoach Youth Theatre (January 9).

The immense contribution made by Stagecoach to the community of York is clear to all who have been privileged to watch its performances.

It offers high standards of training for local people in music, dance and drama. It is successful in attracting large numbers of young people who develop a healthy leisure time interest.

It achieves excellent standards from everyone who attends. The confidence and skills of all the performers in its recent production, The Rose And The Ring, was exceptional and a tribute to the Stagecoach staff.

The company provides high standards of entertainment for the York public at a fraction of the cost of the Theatre Royal and the Grand Opera House. It offers quality attractions for visitors who invariably leave with a positive impression of the young people in our city.

Stagecoach provides all this at a cost to our city of less than £10,000 a year. Excellent value for money by any standards and a mere pittance in the total budget.

Rather than withdrawing funding the council should be trying to attract more organisations such as Stagecoach that offer high quality training and entertainment at low cost.

Most councils recognise that thriving local youth organisations save money in the long term and give young people a focus and interest, so saving cash which would have to be spent on preventing petty crime and vandalism and other problems which result from youngsters having little to do but roam the streets.

As a cost-cutting exercise I believe this is a counter-productive proposal because the citizens of York are likely to lose far more in real value than the paltry amount of money saved. City of York Council, please think again.

Philip Puckrin,

Jamieson Terrace,

South Bank, York.

Updated: 11:32 Wednesday, January 11, 2006