From M.D. Smith:-

IT is 3am as I write this letter. I cannot sleep after reading the article ( Globe, September 1) about the young man who was seriously assaulted in Birkenhead Park, my home town.

I do hope this young man is recovering from his terrible ordeal and that in time he can get on with his life.

As a Birkonian, it breaks my heart to see this happening in my home town. I have two main concerns - the appalling attack on this young man and the neglect of Birkenhead Park.

It was once a magnificent park, the best in the land. Back in the '40s and '50s, as a young boy, I had many happy times there; today, regrettably, that is not so and it saddens me.

Two months ago, I visited Birkenhead Park and was appalled to see so much neglect. The public toilets are abysmal. Wirral Borough Council should not allow vandalism to be an excuse for not addressing problems.

They are the custodians of our public parks and, in my opinion, they have let the people down, especially the children.

I challenge the top officers of Wirral Leisure Services and Tourism Department to go and see for themselves the neglect of the parkland and its public toilets.

Central Park, New York, which is a copy of Birkenhead Park, was once a 'no go' area before Timothy Marshall, former Vice President of Central Park Conservancy, turned the issues around.

It is possible that if the Birkenhead Park issues had been addressed, the appalling attack on this young man could have been averted.

I want to see people and the Council working together, addressing the issues and the problems we face to-day, not just in our parks but in all aspects of our lives. Together we can do it!

Address supplied.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.