YORK and Selby police divisions are to be merged as part of a massive shake-up of North Yorkshire police, it was confirmed today.

The county's Police Authority unanimously accepted proposals by the Chief Constable, David Kenworthy, to restructure the force from seven divisions into three areas.

There will be a new central area combining York and Selby, a Western area made up of Craven, Harrogate and Richmond and an Eastern area consisting of Hambleton, Ryedale and Scarborough.

Mr Kenworthy highlighted the need to cut expenditure and said that a saving of £761,000 could be made through the restructuring process.

However he reassured Police Authority members, many of whom were fiercely partisan for their own areas, that each new area would have two superintendents and existing resources would not be diverted from one district to another without a very good case being made.

Police authority chairman Coun Angela Harris said the authority gave its "unqualified support" to the Chief Constable's proposals but reserved its right to comment on the details when they were made available.

She said: "The decisions made will affect individuals and that should be borne in mind by those taking them."

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