EVERYONE will regret the decision of the Dean and Chapter of York Minster to levy a charge on visitors to the great cathedral.

But most will understand why the Minster authorities have had to take this step after a failure of a voluntary donations scheme to meet the rising costs of maintaining the fabric of the building. Unfortunately, fewer than a quarter of those who had entered one of the world's finest Gothic cathedrals were persuaded that it was worth £3.50 to see the treasures inside.

That is a sad indictment of the mentality of tourists - foreign and British - who take the work and the fabric of the church for granted.

Ripon and Durham Cathedrals have also considered the charging issue in recent years but both have so far been in a position where they have able to retain free admission to the buildings, although Durham does impose charges for access to certain areas and some facilities.

Ripon's position is likely to be the first to be reviewed. Although the development campaign to raise money for repairs has been well-supported, the £3,000 a day running costs are still a struggle for the Dean.

Admission charges will be put off for as long as possible, but it seems inevitable that they will be introduced for the majority of English cathedrals in years to come. Provided the rights of local worshippers, and possibly local non-church-going residents, to enter "their" church are protected, the case for retaining free admission in the face of inadequate voluntary contributions seems to be lost