Figures show that an astonishing 63 per cent of the city council's housing stock is now made up of flats, leaving growing families struggling to find suitable accommodation. The race to add to this percentage among the private sector is baffling as much as it is frustrating.

Many of the social problems which plague our council estates are amplified within the impersonal and alien environment of blocks of flats.

They are far removed from the traditional way of life in our cities, with their time honoured social networks, and the sooner government restrictions which encourage their proliferation are relaxed, the better it will be.

Your chance to make a point

THE Lib Dems rose to power on Sheffield council promising to put local people and their concerns at the top of their priorities. But few would have realised this would include becoming involved in the selection of a new chief executive for the authority.

Yet that is exactly what is happening with the ruling group asking readers of The Star to suggest questions to be put to candidates for the top job. This will ensure that real issues affecting ordinary people are put before those vying to take on this important job.

It is a radical approach which shows the new political masters starting as they mean to continue. We urge readers to give this initiative their enthusiastic support.

Conga Queen?

MUCH fuss in the media today as a minor Royal sells his wedding snaps to a celebrity magazine. Senior members of the House of Windsor are furious they were caught up in the pages of Hello, but surely the person who should be most annoyed is the editor... £500,000 spent and not one picture of the Queen and Phillip in the conga line!

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