THE rural area of Ryedale is leading the country when it comes to neighbourhood policing, according to a leading police officer.

Chief Superintendent David Short told a Helmsley area community and police group meeting at Ampleforth that a plan announced by Home Officer Minister Hazel Blears this month has been pioneered in Ryedale for some time.

Four teams have been set up, covering the vast rural areas, its scores of villages and five market towns.

He said: "The public can have more confidence in reporting incidents knowing they are going to be dealt with."

On the issue of domestic violence, he said did not believe it was on the increase, but that more people were prepared to report it knowing that action would be taken as a result. He said the same situation applied to drug-taking.

Mr Short welcomed news that there would be 25,000 community police officers in the country by 2008, and that they would have powers to detain suspected criminals and issue tickets.