THE CHIEF constable of West Yorkshire police has urged people in the Ilkley area to protest against a national scheme which may cost the force 500 officers, writes Amanda Greaves.

Speaking at a meeting of the Wharfedale Police Community Forum in Burley-in-Wharfedale on Tuesday, Chief Con Graham Moore said the force could be forced to cut 510 officers if the Government forces it to opt into a

19-year contract for a national radio system.

The Tetra digital radio system - which allows officers from forces at opposite ends of the country to communicate by radio - has already been approved by Home Secretary Jack Straw. However, each regional police authority must make the decision to opt into it and officers could be lost to pay for the system.

At the meeting, Chief Con Moore said: "I ask all people here to write to their MPs about it."

He believes the technology will quickly become defunct, and said officers could use a telephone communicate with different parts of the country.

He said: "We would rather put officers on the street than have a national radio system. We already have the best encrypted system of any force in the country. We're big enough to have our own radio system."

He said if the force has to cut officers, the Keighley Division - which provides officers for the Ilkley area - will lose at least 15.

Chief Con Moore and other members of the West Yorkshire Police Authority were travelling to Westminster yesterday to put their case to the region's MPs.

Other large forces including West Midlands and Merseyside Police are also opposing the new system.

l THE police commander for the Ilkley area was given a pat on the back by West Yorkshire's chief constable.

Chief Con Graham Moore congratulated Chief Supt Derek Bonnard of Keighley Police for cutting crime across the whole division by 17 per cent, despite budget cuts.

He said: "It's worth saying well done. I'm amazed how Mr Bonnard does it."

Chief Con Moore said crime is rising steadily in other parts of the country, particularly the South-East. He said a Home Office officer plans to visit West Yorkshire Police to study how they are reducing crime despite suffering a £12million budget cut.

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