One in ten West Yorkshire police officers could be axed if the county is forced to sign up to a multi-million pound national radio system.

The stark warning was delivered by West Yorkshire Police Authority chairman Councillor Neil Taggart after 'crisis talks' with the region's MPs last night.

Home Secretary Jack Straw wants to introduce the Public Safety Radio Communications Project (PSRCP) by 2004 and expects every police force in England and Wales to sign up to the 19-year contract.

The scheme would cost West Yorkshire £7 million and lead to the loss of 510 of its 4,900 officers - a sacrifice the force says it is not prepared to make.

Councillor Taggart said: "The figure we have collated is 510 officers, the loss of which would be from more or less now until 2004.

"That's clearly unacceptable to the Police Authority, the Chief Constable and, I suspect now the MPs."

A six-strong delegation led by Councillor Taggart and West Yorkshire Chief Constable Graham Moore, travelled to London for last night's meeting.

Ten of the regions 23 MPs attended and, of those, four were from the Bradford district - Anne Cryer (Keighley), Gerry Sutcliffe (Bradford South), Marsha Singh (Bradford West) and Chris Leslie (Shipley).

Councillor Taggart said: "I think we impressed them with our presentation. They were concerned about the situation. What they do now is not up to me."

Chief Constable Graham Moore added: "The MPs have pledged to support us in our efforts to ensure that meeting the cost of the new radio system is not at the expense of officers on the street."

Residents in Eccleshill have already written to the Home Secretary backing the Force's refusal to sign up after hearing about the project at their local police community forum.

And Mr Moore urged people in Ilkley area to protest by lobbying local MPs.

Mr Moore told the Wharfedale police community forum he believed the technology would quickly become defunct.

He said: "We would rather put officers on the street than have a national radio system."

The PSRCP would enable police officers and other emergency services staff to relay voice data, text and images such as maps and mugshots across the country.

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