Sir - By effectively closing off the entire eastern half of the city centre from 9am to noon for Oxford's First-Ever Santa Fun Run' on Sunday, the authorities must have inconvenienced many more people than the 50 members of my congregation who worship in a chapel in Mansfield Road.

What about all the music lovers who tried to reach the Holywell Music Room for the Sunday morning coffee concert?

And parents taking children to the cushion concert in St Hilda's College? And parents collecting students and their belongings at the end of term?

Not to mention all the Christmas shoppers intent on taking part in the annual consumer-fest.

As my congregation were given no advance warning of the closure of the streets to traffic (I don't count the roadside sign that I happened to spot a few days before the event), I as the secretary had to contact each of them personally to reschedule our morning service and subsequent annual general meeting.

We don't want to stop people having fun, or raising money for good causes, but why should the Santa Fun Run (and the annual Sunday morning Town and Gown Run in mid-May) not take place in a public park, rather than curtailing everyone else's freedom of movement, freedom of assembly, and freedom to worship?

Catherine M. Robinson, Secretary, Manchester College Chapel Society