ALL the fun of the fair is one thing, an informal arms fair is another.

That was the view of Sowerby resident, Chris Purser, who was indignant this week after field guns, a main battle tank and a self-propelled howitzer formed part of the celebrations at the end of Thirsk Festival.

"Apart from the moral argument as to whether such guns should be present - some of which are capable of delivering battlefield nuclear weapons. Who will shoulder the liability for the damage caused to roads and pavements along the route through Sowerby that they took to get to the festival site on the Flatts?"

He added that no provision was made to clear parked cars along the route taken by the army vehicles, which led to kerbstones being shattered as pavements were mounted by the heavy tracked vehicles.

Road surfaces were stripped off by the tracks as they sheared their way around bends.

It was a good job that the water pipes had been renewed and strengthened recently, he said, or no doubt there would have been some burst pipes.

"On several occasions they were only two feet away from houses. I dread to think what would have happened had one wrong move been made by these ten tonne machines."

Walter Gaunt, the president of Thirsk Rotary Club which organised the festival, said he was unaware of the road problems but would look into the matter as soon as possible.

* Letters to the Editor: page 22.

* Festival report: page 20.