Tories target prime minister

11:04am Saturday 29th September 2007

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A NEW online petition has been launched against the threat of massive cuts in funding for North Yorkshire Police - on Prime Minister Gordon Brown's own website.

The petition has been organised by three Tory parliamentary candidates, Nigel Adams, Andrew Jones and Julian Sturdy, who stressed that it was intended to complement and not compete with The Press's Fund Our Force campaign.

Mr Sturdy, the York Outer prospective candidate, said they started preparing to place the petition on the Downing Street site as soon as they read in The Press on Tuesday that the force could face a devastating £10 million cut in funding from the Government.

The paper exclusively revealed the Government had gone out to consultation on a new funding formula that would give more cash to forces in urban, high-crime hot spots and less to rural ones with low crime rates such as North Yorkshire. "I was outraged that a force which is working so hard to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour could be penalised for that success," he said.

"I fully support The Press campaign. It's absolutely vital that we stop these potential cuts, which would have an absolutely devastating effect in York and in villages and towns right across North Yorkshire. A good local paper should be actively involved in such matters and take a lead, as should local politicians."

He called on politicians of all parties to unite behind the campaign.

Mr Sturdy said that once the Downing Street petition gathered more than 200 signatures, the Prime Minister or his staff would be obliged to take notice and give a response to the points made."

Mr Adams, who is Conservative parliamentary candidate for Selby and Ainsty, said: "These cuts would be disastrous and have a dramatic impact on policing in our local area and throughout North Yorkshire."

Mr Jones is the Tory candidate for Harrogate and Knaresborough.

The petition reads: "We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to protect the funding of North Yorkshire Police by scrapping the proposed changes to the way police grants are calculated."

By last night, it had already gathered 114 signatures.