RICHARD Norris (Nobody cares', Citizen last week) has an interesting interpretation of the city council's duty of care'.

You report that his house was built in 1849 and he claims to have a practical knowledge of local tides. Presumably he bought the house knowing its history and its proximity to the tidal River Lune, so it was up to him to assess the risk of flooding and weigh it against the benefits of living in an historic area near the city centre.

Unless he avoids reading newspapers, Mr Norris will probably also be aware that many environmental scientists are predicting that global warming will cause sea levels to rise by two metres or more over the next few decades and that extreme weather events' are likely to become more frequent.

Lancaster Council doubtless has a duty of care to those who use the facilities it provides but Citizen readers might worry at the level of council tax that would be necessary were it a council duty to protect all residents against readily foreseeable Acts of God and the effects of global warming.

Roger Kemp, Scotforth.