SIR - From time to time Craven District Council comes up with another hair-brained scheme to waste tax payers' money and they have done it again with their wheeled bins.

Who wants them? Who needs them? They are too big, too ugly, difficult to move about, impossible to hide, difficult to clean and they will get very dirty and smelly because supermarket bags leak which will lead to an increase in the fly population.

On top of that, they are inefficient to handle. Didn't anybody do a time and motion study? It takes about four seconds to pick up a green plastic bag and throw it into the hopper whereas the dustmen now have to drag the wheeled bin over to the truck, attach it to the hopper, pull the handle and wait while the wheeled bin is turned upside down and returned to the upright position again, then lift it off the hopper and take it back to where it was.

Our dustmen used to come at 7am but now they come at 8.15.

Now, if the Council had come up with a wheeled bin that had compartments for glass, metal, plastic, paper, compost and other, for recycling, that would be intelligent.

J Robin Gainor,

Thornton-in-Craven.

Rare survivor

SIR - The Devonshire Hotel on Newmarket Street is, in architectural and historical terms, the third most important building in Skipton town centre after the castle and the parish church.

This is the opinion of English Heritage, the government agency charged with the conservation of England's historic buildings. They have listed it Grade II*, in recognition of its national importance. One of the key aspects of the building's interior, one featured in English Heritage's list description, is the original staircase.

Dating to the 1730s, it is a rare survival of early Georgian architecture, a local craftsman's version of comparable staircases in 18th-century houses at York. Further afield it is similar in detail to a mid-18th-century staircase at the Dutch House, Kew.

Your correspondent (Letters, March 16), says that it would be a serious crime 'to deprive the town of this wonderful irreplaceable architectural feature. ..were it to be an original Georgian return staircase in situ' . We are happy to confirm that it is.

We are sure, therefore, that the planning committee will be delighted to know that it has his, as well as our full support.

We were, on the other hand, saddened to read your editorial on the same subject, indicating that the Craven Herald couldn't (in your own words) 'give a damn for it'. It seems to us ironic that a newspaper which clings nostalgically to a front page filled with adverts should care so little for Skipton' s heritage. We would have hoped to see it support attempts to ensure that the best of Skipton's architectural past is preserved as valuable and attractive elements within well-designed schemes for refurbishment.

Susan Wrathmell,

Stuart Wrathmell,

Laine Head Laithe,

Carleton,

Peter Leach,

University of Central Lancashire

Anglers impress

SIR - I would like to take this opportunity of thanking and supporting the chairman and committee of Skipton Angling Society, Bradford City AA and Bradford No 1 AA in closing all their waters due to foot and mouth until further notice.

Yes, we anglers have all suffered slightly through not being able to fish some of the best waters in the country but the associations' committees have done the right thing.

I had the last two weeks of the season booked on the river Aire, Wye and Ribble. I can fish when it's all over. Many people will have lost their livelihood.

Over the past three weeks or so I have interviewed many farmers, their wives and families up and down the country in my job as a broadcaster. Many of these families knowing I am an angler have said "We are impressed by the way anglers stopped fishing straight away".

We are certainly seen as being very responsible. More so than many dog walkers and some of the general public.

Martin James,

Kingfisher, Grindleton.

An industry ignored

SIR - I notice that the whole of the holiday industry is being treated with disregard during the foot and mouth crisis.

This is evident throughout the country but the Dales are my concern. I am convinced that this is because the leisure industry is not taken seriously. It is about pleasure and relaxation and therefore the people involved are not doing a 'proper' job. They are simply indulging a fantasy to be part of other people's holiday choice.

Let me assure you that the holiday industry in the Dales is the livelihood of hundreds of extremely hardworking people who work long hours and are always helpful and pleasant towards their guests and take enormous pride in their establishments and the glorious Dales setting.

So how dare the national park officers ask people to stay away and question their need to visit the area (Craven Herald, March 9).

Presumably everyone at the tourist information centres is giving the same advice. Surely these people who are supposed to be on our side should be encouraging people to come to the Dales and avoid farmland and footpaths and do different things. They can sightsee, walk along our country lanes, use the local bus - the list is endless.

The spin-off from hasty ill thought out advice will affect the Dales for many years to come and cause ruin and misery to many people.

Jane Elliott,

Langcliffe Country House,

Kettlewell.

Insensitive

SIR - I am absolutely appalled that a newspaper of your experience and quality should even consider in the present circumstances the publication of the advertisement which appeared on your edition of March 16 publicising "The Mountaineer's 20 per cent off Foot & Mouth Sale".

I have no farming axe to grind, but do have farming friends: I also lived through the 1967 epidemic in Cheshire, when my father was deeply involved in the insurance side of the tragedy.

To publish an advert in such bad taste, if nothing else, totally lacks sensitivity towards those who are suffering in one was or another from this crisis, and can only go to show the cynicism of the advertiser and the total lack of common sense of the person who accepted the advertisement.

I trust that the newspaper and the advertiser will be publishing an apology in your next edition.

Philip Given,

Gisburn Road, Barnoldswick.

Editor's note: Tourist outlets in the Dales are suffering. Rather than exploiting the crisis, small businesses are desperately trying to keep their heads above water. In a bid to provide some cash flow this has forced some outlets, such as this particular outdoor equipment provider, to sell stock at reduced prices and take drastic steps to bring in custom. We hope that this advert, rather than being cynical, helps this business to trade through these awful times.

Pointless

SIR - I sympathise with all the farmers but it's a bit pointless closing all the footpaths to walkers as the disease is still spreading, so it's not the walkers that are spreading it, is it?

The tourist industry in the Yorkshire Dales is suffering unnecessarily.

Mike Shaw,

Rombalds Drive, Otley.

God's prerogative

SIR - May I say in regard to the slaughter of thousands of animals: "The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof. The cattle on the hills are Mine also".

It is God's prerogative to kill and to make live. We as a nation violate God's principles at our peril.

Mrs C Howard.

Station Road, Giggleswick.

Stay away

SIR - Four weeks into the foot and mouth crisis and it's started: People whingeing about how they are being affected.

No I don't mean farmers, I mean the so-called small businesses that are losing bookings etc because most sensible people are staying away from the Dales. The National Park and local councils are quite right to close footpaths and ask people to stay away.

If more people come into the Dales the risk of infection increases. Who is going to enforce the footpath closure orders, because there is no way the majority of visitors will stick to walking on the roads or simply driving about?

As regards the comment that visitors can "drive around the roads", Upper Wharfedale has so far not been affected, but it's only a short distance to Hawes, which is not only in an infected area, but is also a popular tourist destination particularly for anyone staying in Upper Wharfedale.

Instead of bemoaning the loss to themselves these people would be better thinking about the people who stand to lose livelihoods that in some cases go back generations. Where is the community spirit?

Mark Carter,

Low Greenfield, Buckden.

Responsible

SIR - I sympathise with Mrs Crampton regarding her letter in last week's paper regarding dog problems in Grassington.

It is pleasing to note that with the present restrictions regarding foot and mouth the residents of Gargrave are using the village green to walk their dogs, and are being fully responsible and cleaning up after their pets.

The parish council takes pride in its three village greens and it is good that dog owners are playing their part at what is a heartbreaking time for our farmers.

Coun Jean Harrison,

Marton Road, Gargrave.

Disappointing

SIR - We were looking forward to going to the new playing fields in Settle with our dad but we were very disappointed.

The slide and tunnel had been covered in dog pooh, by someone who doesn't care about the young children who want to play there.

Whoever is responsible for it should be made to get on their hands and knees and get scrubbing. We think it is really sad that someone could let their dog pooh near children's playing things and even sadder that people could do such a horrible thing.

Grace and Harry Marshall,

(Aged 7 and 5),

Giggleswick.

Full story

SIR - Your edition of March 2 stated that Aireville School, Skipton could not afford the increased cost of grounds maintenance from April 1. This is not the whole story.

Firstly, the school will receive an increased allowance to reflect the higher cost of the contract (at least in the first year, pending a revision of the funding formula). Secondly, I sincerely hope that the quality of work - less than acceptable in the past - will improve considerably.

Murray Naylor

Executive member for corporate affairs

North Yorkshire County Council.

Editor's note: A subsequent edition of the Herald reported on the decision to increase Aireville's allowance.

Twin lessons

SIR - A recent spell in Airedale Hospital made two things very clear: more often than not, a horrendous workload and, at all times, professional and caring determination to do the best for all patients.

For the first, my wife and I can only grieve, for the second, be very, very grateful.

Administrators, organisers of areas, trusts or whatever, please leave what's well, well alone!

Vivien and David Goodall

Brook Street

Hellifield.