I REFER to your story on the anti-social behaviour in Great Oaty Gardens. When the Mayor of Worcester attended the recent Warndon Parish Council meeting it was reported he was appalled to hear of "the mayhem" affecting those residents living close to the park who have had to endure such behaviour for over three years.

The question I would put to him is why did he not know of these problems? Why did his Conservative colleagues, the elected city councillors not bring these matters to the Tory- controlled city council and press for some action on behalf of those residents over the past three years?

As these city councillors do not see fit to bring the Mayor and their council up to speed with the information, let me help them. The youth workers, response teams as well as the police have been working hard night after night, year after year, to resolve the issues.

I was directly involved in providing a youth shelter, as part of the agreed plan to divert those young to a place of their own, now sited adjacent to Lyppard Grange Community Centre. The piece of the jigsaw that is missing is the implementation of those changes to the layout of the park that were agreed some two years ago.

This would play a part in moving the young people from the problem area to the youth shelter. It was the Tory-controlled city council that did not provide the resources to modify the park. So Mr Mayor, do not blame the police, youth workers or community officers. The blame lies with the local Conservative Councillors who have failed to represent the people living in the Great Oaty Gardens and ensure the work was completed two years ago.

COUN JOHN BUCKLEY,

County Councillor and Chair of Worcester Youth Strategy Group.

n THOSE poor Asian men working our fields are no more than slaves.

Just imagine how little they will have left of their pitiful wages by the time they have paid a gangmaster, income tax, National Insurance and quite possibly lost their entitlement to unemployment benefit, community charge benefit and so on. In fact I'm surprised they haven't joined British agricultural workers in being unable to afford to work the land.

But thank you, Worcester News for highlighting their plight - it's no less than a scandal.

JIM EVANS,

Worcester.