THIS week I had cause to wile away a couple of hours during a trip to York. As a youngster I spent many an hour at Hull Road Park while visiting an aunt living in Melrosegate.

I was so shocked to see the state of the once-lovely park. Gone are the bowling greens, the planted rockeries are a mass of weeds and the flower beds no more. The central building is boarded up and graffiti abounds.

The pond still has the wildfowl trying its best among the silted water and rubbish. I would guess that it is the same for many of the other council parks in the city of York.

Were the savings of not maintaining the parks really worth it? I see the latest council recruit earns £700 per day, that sort of money would brighten up many lives with jobs maintaining the parks.

All rather sad really.

Dennis Horseman, Weaverthorpe