ANTI-social behaviour has been in the news recently which has encouraged me to bring a perennial problem to your readers’ attention.

Come a sunny day with clear skies, more likely at weekends and Bank Holidays, the inhabitants and visitors to the North York Moors National Park have to put up with the sound of a person in a single engine aircraft breaking the tranquillity of the day by performing aerial acrobatics presumably unaware of the intrusiveness that the sheer loudness and constant change of pitch has on those below.

Why do we the public have to accept this noise nuisance made for the personal gratification of one person?

It is louder and more intrusive than the sounds coming through the walls of a semi-detached house and is antisocial in the sense that many are affected by the action of a single person.

I would like the perpetrator(s) to declare themselves and justify their action. As for the council or national park cannot this behaviour be regulated?

They were up there often more than once a day each day of the Easter holidays. If my concerns are shared by others I suggest we petition the relevant authorities to curb this selfish behaviour.

When my dad flew these stunts during the Second World War, it had a wider purpose than just his personal pleasure.

Richard Colman, Bransdale

Ryedale can thrive

I WRITE in response to Peter Allen’s letter in which he finds it difficult to believe the recent upgraded estimates by UKOOG regarding the amount of shale gas beneath our feet.

That’s strange, the opponents seem to think we have far more gas than the industry, they frequently quote a Friends of the Earth funded study which claims 1,000 well pads would be required. UKOOG has stated only 100 well pads in the whole country could provide our gas requirements.

Perhaps the protesters’ placards will now say “We overstated by 90 per cent the number of well pads” instead of false claims that “99.2 per cent said no” in our community. We have never had a vote on shale gas in our area.

Via an FOI, I learned that 815 objection letters submitted to NYCC against the KM8 planning application were “suspected” as being fraudulent, most were included in the final tally of 4,375, but surely could never be relied upon to have been an honest representation.

A recent study produced by Eurostat revealed the 10 poorest and the 10 richest areas in Northern Europe. Staggeringly, the UK has nine of the 10 poorest areas, six are in northern England, right where the belt of deep shale rock is buried and where a shale gas industry could regenerate those regions. Guess where the number one area is of the top 10 richest? London. The north south economic divide very apparent. Many of the drivers against the north regenerating its economy by providing shale gas live in... London and the south.

The welcome news that Third Energy’s onshore business has been bought brings hope that their input will help make our area more economically attractive for people to live and work in. Ryedale should be a place where everyone can thrive and not just a few.

Lorraine Allanson, Allerston

Safeguard future

I WAS appalled by David Pasley’s support for fracking (Gazette & Herald, April 17) and the shallowness of his argument.

His letter is entirely focused on hypothetical financial “bribes” from fracking. He claims that large sums of money would accrue to local people from fracking, but these are fantasy figures, based on a string of flawed assumptions about gas production.

More importantly he completely ignores the serious environmental implications of fracking for both the long and short-term. It is precisely this sort of selfish short-term thinking and behaviour that has created the very serious climate change threat that we all now face.

As the Extinction Rebellion and Greta Thurnberg have so graphically made clear, we need to start radically changing our behaviour now. Fracturing the earth’s crust to squeeze out more fossil fuel to burn is precisely the opposite action to what is needed.

I have grandchildren and trying to safeguard their future is surely far more important than short-term financial gain.

Michael Gwilliam, Norton

Truly scrumptious

I WOULD like to congratulate the entire cast and crew of Ryedale Youth Theatre production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang for a truly scrumptious night out at the Milton Rooms in Malton.

The Milton Rooms was very, very full, and the audience was wowed by a wonderful performance. Once again I have to say, we as a community are so lucky to be able to watch these wonderful shows right here on our door step. The cast are all youngsters and all showed unbelievable talent.

The costumes were dazzling, the singing sublime, the slap stuck hilarious, the acting first class and the flying car sent the audience in to dizzy heights of enjoyment.

Well done to you all and thank you for giving your audience two hours of pure pleasure. I hope you all enjoyed yourselves as much as we your audience did.

Lindsay Burr, Malton