CUTBACKS to the police budget could lead to too few officers in Craven to provide safe and effective cover, a councillor fears.

Skipton's police cells are set to close in April as part of a review of policing in the area which aims to save around £72,000, as part of a planned £2m budget cut for the county.

But Cllr Andy Solloway, an Independent member of Craven District Council and North Yorkshire County Council, has said he is "deeply concerned" that there will simply be too few police officers left to do the job properly.

He said: "There seems to be some disquiet among police officers on the ground about this, but you won't hear this from those at the top.

"In practice, centralising the custody suite to Harrogate to replace the lost Skipton cells is bound to have a knock-on effect, and this is bound to leave people more vulnerable. Police officers are simply going to be spread too thinly."

Among those who have also condemned the plans is a retired North Yorkshire policeman, who claimed that Craven is "going to suffer".

The former officer, who did not wish to be named, said: "There is going to be a sizeable gap between the theory of what they are saying it will mean and the practice.

"I know from when I was in the force that there are often times when a full complement of officers on any one shift is simply not available - officers take leave of absence, they are off sick, or on courses and the like. Now officers are also going to be absent escorting prisoners to Harrogate.

"I can't see how an effective and safe level of cover can be provided with the forecasted number of officers."

North Yorkshire Police began putting into action the Operational Policing Model several months ago,

Police chiefs say it is a strategy to "streamline and improve" the way police services are delivered, with the projected increases in efficiency enabling the force to make financial savings. Several ' investigation hubs', including one in Harrogate for the Craven area, have been created by North Yorkshire Police.

Figures released this week show that levels of crime in North Yorkshire have fallen by 16 per cent since 2010.

Skipton MP Julian Smith said that he had been concerned about the restructuring and had met police chiefs to voice his concerns on several occasions.

He added: " I will be watching like a hawk to make sure this restructuring does not threaten these excellent crime figures."

In a letter to Craven District Council's crime and disorder committee Assistant Chief Constable Paul Kennedy wrote: "Significant discussions were held with the workforce of North Yorkshire Police and, in particular with police constables, PCSOs, police sergeants, police inspectors and senior management teams in order to probe how best we can reform the services for the Craven district. It was as a result... that we decided to invest three constable posts in order to strengthen neighbourhood policing.

"However, the financial challenges facing North Yorkshire Police are significant and the need to reform services in order to become more efficient and effective within the limited budget remains a paramount factor in deciding on which reforms to introduce to the Operational Policing Model."

The crime and disorder committee was due to discuss the policing situation yesterday, but the meeting was cancelled because of the predicted bad weather.