I WAS very pleased to see that North Yorkshire Police are taking the potential risks of the proposed wheel so seriously (January 19).

I would like to bring another hugely dangerous structure to their attention, namely York Minster. For all the reasons quoted in your article on the wheel, the Minster also poses potential risks of injury and death.

I have on many occasions seen tourists irresponsibly gazing up at the "Heart of York", without regard to the throng of passing cars, bicycles and horse carts. Indeed, there are even places on the ring road around York from where the Minster can be seen, which could disastrously distract the attention of a driver.

I see no alternative but to raze the Minster to the ground, and replace it with gardens. Perhaps a pond could be included where great crested newts could be raised. This would give Ken Livingstone (famous mayor of that other "Great City With A Wheel") an interesting diversion were he ever to visit us to see how progressive we are in York.

Gideon Visser,

Stonegrave,

York.

Updated: 11:16 Monday, January 23, 2006