Sir, - You recently covered a story in Catterick about Richmondshire District Council attempting to lay waste to an amenity site of some 18 acres at the behest of the Leeds Angling Club from whom it is leased.

What a pity your reporter didn't go a further 200 yards up river to an area known locally as "The Ponds", also owned and managed by the Leeds club.

We locals (and visitors) enjoyed many a Sunday stroll with the Swale on one side and fishing ponds on the other. The area had been quarried many years ago and mother nature had given us back a site of considerable beauty and tranquillity.

About six or seven years ago, a member of the Leeds club decided we could no longer enjoy the walk as it was private property and tried to turn people away. This resulted in an outcry and a village meeting with a member of the Leeds Angling Club who, after walking the area, said it was so beautiful he would not wish to deprive anyone of the enjoyment but would we please respect the anglers' privacy and keep dogs on a lead, a reasonable request. The area, I guess, is of some 20 or so acres and was covered with trees, gorse, broom, wildflowers and an abundance of wildlife such as swans, coots and moorhens.

Yesterday my wife and I with our dog (on a leash) decided to walk round the ponds; we haven't been for some time because of the wet weather. What a ghastly place it now is, cars and vans seem to drive anywhere leaving ankle deep ruts in the mud, an old caravan (or two) and a storage tank squat at the entrance, litter, broken wooden pallets abound and a heap of broken polystyrene sheets just wait for a wind to distribute further a field.

A lot of the shrubs have been grubbed out and the ponds reshaped (landscaped would not be the correct word). We didn't stay long enough to ascertain if the wildlife remained or had packed their bags and left, I certainly wouldn't blame them.

I believe anglers to be environmentally friendly - if that is so it must be time for the club members to call someone to account for this mess.

If ever a site of beauty has been mismanaged this is one, it is truly a blot on the local landscape.

R MCCARTHY

Low Green,

Catterick Village.

Here's hoping

Sir, - As a member of the Wensleydale Railway Company, I hope the efforts to reinstate the line become a reality and not a pipe dream.

Being brought up with the line one realizes the tragic outcome of not using it. I think the saddest part was Beecham wielding his axe in such a visionless manner. It wasn't just a case of closure, it was complete annihilation.

At the time the branch connected two main London lines, and with more than half the line still in use, surely they could have mothballed the track bed just in case!

Had the bridge crossing the Ure near Hawes have been left, it would have been invaluable to the local community, fishermen and hikers. But with a government one could only describe as anti-rail, its worth was only its scrap metal value.

For the majority of people who have known the line all their lives it's a case of "it's been and it's gone". But with the ever increasing chaos on the roads, and the horrendous rate that we are burning up our fossil fuels, for the enthusiastic minority it's not a case of playing trains, it is hoping to regain a vital asset for future generations.

DOUGLAS PUNCHARD.

Bylands,

Keldholme,

Kirkbymoorside.

Rail caution

Sir, - We were encouraged by the comments of Mr Steve Macare, chairman of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, on the proposed reinstatement of the Wensleydale railway, and the excellent letter from Mrs Anne Daykin (D&S, Feb 16).

Her suggestion to use the redundant track as a cycle-walking track is to be applauded.

There is an urgent need for a balanced debate on the subject, before the Wensleydale Railway Company builds up more steam.

D & H M HOYLE

Aysgarth.

Parking order

Sir, - In response to Coun Anne Frizell's letter (D&S Feb 16) can I point out that the discrepancy in the disc parking order in Richmond only came to light last year. It was noted that the colour of the parking discs was orange and not blue.

When the mistake was spotted it was decided to amend the order. At the same time it was agreed to consolidate all the traffic regulation orders in Richmond under one order.

This process took some time to complete, with the new order taking effect from Monday, February 19, 2001. The original order quite clearly indicated that waiting was limited to no more than two hours and irrespective of the colour of disc displayed the police could enforce any overstay of the period.

M O MOORE

Director of Environmental Services,

North Yorkshire County Council,

Northallerton.

Thoughtless

Sir, - I have just read an apology to the traffic warden in last week's D&S.

As far as I am aware the only traffic management in Richmond town centre is when the traffic warden is on duty. Unfortunately she is not able to be around often enough.

One thing I cannot understand is why drivers park over the paths, and across the cobbles. It is bad enough for pedestrians, but for pushchairs and wheelchairs the cobbles are very difficult to negotiate.

These are very thoughtless drivers, and this sadly includes disabled drivers. When the warden is absent, they get away with this.

JOYCE RUTTER

Millgate,

Richmond.