Leeds City Council has been advised repeatedly that a Designated Public Places Order (DPPO) is not, and cannot be, an alcohol ban. Why does Coun Matthews write as if it is one?

The Home Office has advised Leeds City Council in April 2007 that a DPPO is "to restrict ANTI-SOCIAL drinking in designated public places and provide the police with the power to enforce this restriction".

In hot weather Woodhouse Moor suffers very badly from drink-fuelled anti-social behaviour and has at times this summer become the domain of yob-rule with people tearing branches from trees to convert barbeques to bonfires, people playing 'golf' with glass bottles and people setting fire to the waste bins and skips, to mention just some of the anti-social behaviour which can make the park rather a threatening and dangerous place.

The park is left covered with broken glass, cans, barbecue mesh, food waste, paper and plastic bags, which parks staff then have to spend hours clearing instead of getting on with the horticultural work which is their profession.

The police and the PCSOs do nothing about any of this. When there is drink-fuelled mayhem on Woodhouse Moor it seems to be treated as a no-go area by the police.

Is this why the police are reported as opposing the inclusion of the park in the DPPO proposed for the area? Is it because they do not dare go into the park and challenge any of this drink-fuelled anti-social behaviour?

A DPPO does not stop anyone enjoying a civilised drink in the park and the Home Office are very concerned to make this clear to the public, police and councillors alike.

M SOUTHON, Leeds