AFTER many years of May Morning stupidity, our civic leaders have admitted that they do not have the responsibility or power to do anything other than appoint a central organiser to sort out the problems associated with events on Magdalen Bridge.

I’m sure we shall all hold our breath to see what the central organiser comes up with – that is if the civic leaders agree who pays for it.

I first made inquiries 11 years ago and was given a number of excuses for the bridge closure.

The county council suggested that pressure placed against the parapets might lead to them giving way, leading to death or injury.

The police were worried that people would be hurt if they jumped into the river.

Oxford City Council played the, “nothing to do with me mate” card.

The county council appeared to blame the city council for the problem and it, in turn, attempted to blame the county.

Over all this time, and after all the money spent, no-one seems to have thought about engineering the perceived safety problem out – by either clearing the river bed or even employing a specialist organisation to erect appropriate hoardings.

Of course, it might even add to the fun if they installed a temporary raft across the river and filled it with cows’ muck.

That should be safe enough. And, who knows, one of our councillors may volunteer to be the first to jump into it.

Brian M Leahy, Hanney Road, Steventon, Abingdon