THE massive bank balance held by North Yorkshire Police could be spent anywhere in Yorkshire when four forces are merged.

The Home Office has told Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Phil Willis that the North Yorkshire force's £30 million in cash reserves, paid for by huge council tax hikes in recent years, could be spent anywhere in the new "superforce" area.

But the merger will spell a reduction in council tax for York and North Yorkshire residents, after the Home Office agreed to make police precepts level across the new force.

In answer to parliamentary questions from Mr Willis, Police Minister Liam Byrne said: "Budget setting and management for any reorganised police area will be a matter for the new strategic police authority and the chief officer, who will be responsible for prioritising local needs."

Mr Willis said: "My constituents have been continuously led up the garden path on the issue of North Yorkshire Police balances, which should never have existed in the first place."

He said residents had been asked to pay the highest increases in police tax precepts anywhere in the country, but that money could now be spent in Sheffield or Hull.

He added: "What is worse, the claims by North Yorkshire Police that the balances would be spent in North Yorkshire are clearly false."

But police authority treasurer John Kirman said it had always been clear that any leftover balance would be transferred under a merger, but that reserves had been allocated for policing needs in the area during the next two years.

He said residual amounts left in March, 2008, would transfer to a new authority, but so would cash from police authorities in South and West Yorkshire and Humberside, which could be spent in North Yorkshire.

The Press told in March how North Yorkshire Police planned to splash out £8 million on a new cell block and an £8.5 million station in Harrogate to reduce their bank balance before a merger goes ahead.

Updated: 12:38 Saturday, May 20, 2006