TORY MPs today blasted controversial plans to split York into a political "doughnut" containing two Parliamentary seats.

The plans will see the city divided into "York Central" and "York Outer" constituencies, proposals backed by Labour politicians at a public inquiry earlier this year.

Tories were among those backing the "sandwich" proposals, with York split into two using the River Ouse as a boundary.

Ryedale Tory John Greenway today slammed the decision by assistant boundary commissioner Edward Bartley Jones QC to go with the "doughnut" as "ludicrous".

He said: "It is incredible that he should make that decision. He said there was a good argument for doing it and then decides to go the other way.

"This decision does not unify the city, which is exactly what is needed. Both Members of Parliament should represent a cross section of the city, the historic heart and the rural areas."

Vale of York Conservative MP Anne McIntosh said: "It would have been preferable for part of York's historic city centre to be in each constituency.

"Whoever represents the Outer York seat will be spending a lot of time on the ring road."

Miss McIntosh will be personally affected, as her seat will now be abolished.

That seat includes the villages of Poppleton, Haxby, Wigginton and New Earswick.

She said: "I have no immediate plans to retire and I always take one election at a time. These changes will not take place until the election after next."

The "doughnut" plans were backed by Tang Hall community worker Gordon-Campbell Thomas, who campaigned for the Hull Road area to be included in the York Inner seat.

It had been proposed for the outer seat.

He said: "When people sit down and look at this rationally they will see it is a good arrangement for York.

"Specifically on Hull Road the decision is excellent news. I think the people of Hull Road will be very happy. The division that would have been caused if Hull Road had been placed in the outer ring would have been terrible.

"Hull Road residents would have felt excluded from the city of York."

The commission has instead decided that Dringhouses and Woodthorpe should be placed in the outer ring.

The recommendations will go before Parliament no earlier than 2007. If approved, they will be implemented at the General Election after that.

Updated: 10:34 Friday, June 13, 2003