WHEN G Bulbrooke wrote about walking daily in Riverside Park there are several points with which I take issue.

I have walked the park for 45 years for pleasure, exercise and as a way of getting to a variety of locations and have not encountered problems with dogs or their owners.

The mentioned ‘No Dogs Allowed’ signs are small and attached to two of the four opening gates behind the school and, if the gates are opened back, they become practically invisible.

The previous signs were large and between posts and were informative so the public was in no doubt as to the fact that the area behind the school was in use by teachers and pupils during the school day.

If these were reinstated, the fencing renewed and bins put along the path running behind the school there would be few problems with members of the public or their dogs.

As for closing the current footpath and rerouting it behind the houses in River View Road, do people realise that the fences to the back of the properties are high and the school is considering erecting high fences round the field.

This would mean that the public would be expected to walk along what would, in effect, be an unsafe alley which would not even take you in the same direction as the present path.

Also does G Bulbrooke know that the school intends to close that area behind the school to the public, only allowing it to be hired out to recognised groups?

So at weekends, before and after school and during the 13 holiday weeks that land will be largely unused. Add to that the many wet days when the land is marshy it is difficult to justify the closure.

The people of this city have historically been happy to have shared use of this lovely park and are still happy to do so with just simple measures like clear signs and improved fencing. Surely this should be possible?

D READ, Bitterne Park, Southampton.