THE shock retirement of York police chief Jim Kilmartin was today blamed by Ryedale MP John Greenway on chronic police underfunding.

And Harrogate MP Phil Willis called for the Home Office to be called in to investigate the North Yorkshire force's management procedures.

It was announced yesterday that Superintendent Kilmartin is to retire in July, only months after he took over the force's new flagship Central area, covering York and Selby.

He said he had reservations about staffing levels for the area, and felt that having made his views clear, he should go.

Chief Constable David Kenworthy said he reluctantly accepted the decision, saying Supt Kilmartin had been a "superb leader". He said he respected Supt Kilmartin for his stance in constantly fighting to increase the resources available to him.

York MP Hugh Bayley said yesterday that the York area had not been getting its fair share of the county's resources, and he would be pressing for a meeting with Mr Kenworthy.

But Ryedale MP and Tory home affairs spokesman John Greenway said the staffing problems were not the fault of the chief constable but of inadequate resources for the whole force.

"This is the most vivid example yet of the catastrophic effect of chronic underfunding of the police service by the Labour Government," claimed the former policeman.

"It's a tragedy that people of such dedication and experience feel they are not being supported with the resources they need."

Mr Willis said morale within the force must be at rock bottom. "When the chief constable came in we expected changes and morale to improve but things are now worse than before.

"I think it now requires the Home Office to step in and hold a full inquiry, so that confidence can be restored"

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.