News of the ban on majorettes has reached me in Sheffield and as I inform people it is producing lots of sympathy for the young people involved and howls of derision at your local council.

There were in fact four other choices the council could have made.

The first of these is that there is an exemption for Morris Dancing and dancing of a similar nature'. I am sure your local morris dancers would not have minded the comparison. Not too sure about the majorettes. This exemption allows the Notting Hill Carnival with its thousands of dancers to go ahead.

The second is to licence the streets where the performances were to take place. My own town has an area bounded by the inner city ring road (about one mile square) which is licensed for such events. This is the recommendation of the government in their guidance to councils.

Thirdly they could stop making up the rules as they go along, for there is no such rule about the number of people walking is less than 50 per cent of the number of floats that take part in the carnival then it is not a licensable activity'. Such a rule is a fabrication of the council, and is not in either the Licensing Act or the Statutory Guidance. It is clearly worded wrongly anyway a huge parade of 50 floats would only allow 24 walking people only before requiring a licence. That would not even cover the bucket collectors.

Finally, responsibility rests firmly with the council. Try telephoning the appropriate government department and that is what they will tell you. They can decide not to prosecute or not. Most councils would not be so bureaucratic. What has West Wiltshire got against the county's majorettes?

Dave Eyre, Sheffield