FOOTPATH SAGA RE the continuing footpath controversy involving resident Gary Orpen who is threatening to sue Hurworth Parish Council and the village's community association over vandalism to his property.

Mr Orpen says the area being discussed has been cordoned off in the past and that there was a fence at one end of the path, until it was damaged by people climbing over it and was replaced with a stile.

I would like to know where this information could be found and viewed? I have lived in Hurworth for 33 years and have walked dogs through the area since moving here. I don't remember it being fenced off or a stile being built.

Could Mr Orpen tell us how long he has lived in Hurworth?

Surely when he bought his house he knew it was next to a community centre, but that does not mean vandalism comes automatically.

At the first public meeting on this issue it was suggested Mr Orpen furnish the parish council with a list of all the acts of vandalism. Has this been done?

I hope the parish council will not give in to him and that it will fight to keep this area as a public right of way so all the villagers can enjoy it. - Joyce Brooks, Hurworth.

PARKING MY understanding is that hatched yellow lines either side of standard-width car parking spaces are to allow registered disabled drivers plenty of access space to alight from their vehicles in Darlington town centre car parks.

If that space is significantly reduced by another vehicle parked partially on it, then a violation of the Traffic Act would occur - hence Liberal Democrat councillor Peter Freitag's parking ticket (Echo, Jan 15 and 21), which he is contesting.

I am sure that Coun Freitag's parking position was certainly not an act of deliberate disregard of the parking restrictions, in order to create a contested situation between him and our parking officers; no, it was a moment of careless parking.

However, now there is a new cry, that being the amount of money collected in parking fines by the borough council being judged unfair and excessive.

"They would say that, wouldn't they?" comes to mind.

My bet is that Coun Freitag will lose out on both counts. - Councillor Jim Ruck, Conservative, Darlington Borough Council.

BUSES DANGER IN May last year you published a letter from me about the dangers of buses coming around the corner of Priestgate, Darlington.

Thankfully, I had good support from others with the same complaint.

However, nothing has improved since then and I fear someone is going to be killed.

On two occasions crossing that road recently, you see nothing coming and then a bus appears without warning, with the driver hooting its horn. The driver has no understanding of people with disabilities.

All I say is open up the bus station and save tempers, including the impatience of drivers. It must be hard for them, too.

But if these buses are not taken away from this route someone is going to be killed. - Ann Swain, Darlington.