A HUGE boost in police numbers for York and North Yorkshire was given an enthusiastic welcome today by people in both city and countryside.

But residents want to see the extra officers, announced yesterday, on the beat and not stuck behind desks.

Chief Constable David Kenworthy unveiled nearly £3 million in extra funding for the force at a press conference at North Yorkshire police headquarters at Newby Wiske.

The cash - which will require a modest rise in taxes in the county - will raise officer numbers by 60 to their highest ever level.

Tony Flintoft, founder of Sheepwatch Rural Security, a voluntary group which patrols the North York Moors to prevent rural crime, said: "This is wonderful news, but if it does actually happen they will need to be on the beat in the streets and the countryside and not kept in offices.

"I would love to think there will be enough new officers for me to be able to hang up my torch, but we will have to wait and see."

Mr Flintoft said that 60 officers would be "a drop in the ocean".

"It's a vast area they have to cover," he said.

Rose Wall, chairwoman of Chapelfields Resid-ents' Association in York, also welcomed the announcement of more officers, saying both the estate and the whole of York would benefit.

She said that while crime levels on the Chapelfields estate were lower than in previous years, residents still wanted to see a greater police presence. "They say they want to see officers on the beat like there used to be - you never see them patrol-ling, only when there's trouble," she said.

The new officers will be a mix of new recruits and transfers from other forces.

They will take police numbers to 1,420 officers by March 2000, and Mr Kenworthy hopes this will bolster morale among existing officers and reduce sickness levels.

The additional funding will come from the Rural Policing Fund, the Crime-fighting Fund and a rise in the precept for the average North Yorkshire council tax payer of about 10p per week.

Updated: 10:05 Saturday, January 27, 2001