PLANS to disband a police unit which patrols rural areas have been criticised.

The Beat Support Unit of Durham Police, which has seven officers, was set up five years ago when it was known as the Rural Support Unit.

It serves rural and urban parts of the force area, its officers going where they are needed to help local bobbies and provide a visible police presence.

But following an operational review, Durham Police is to close the unit and move the officers to other jobs.

The force said rural policing would not suffer because all areas have beat officers.

But Brian Pavey, a gamekeeper and the co-ordinator of Darlington rural crime prevention organisation Countryside Alert, has accused the force of penny-pinching.

Mr Pavey said the move could mean more crime in the countryside.

He said: "I am furious. It means that there will be a lack of police in rural areas.

"It makes me angry because we all pay our taxes. The police take a huge chunk of our council tax."

He is concerned because the unit has a number of off-road vehicles, which he fears would not be available to beat officers.

Mr Pavey, who helped set up the Rural Support Unit five years ago, said he would be asking farmers in the area to write to Chief Constable Paul Garvin in protest at the decision.

Force spokesman Martin Wallwork said: "The unit was created when Durham Constabulary had six divisions and it has provided an excellent service in both rural and urban parts of County Durham and Darlington.

"However, times have moved on and the force now has a completely different structure based on two area commands, with teams of beat officers based in the various communities."

Durham Police Authority approved the plan on Thursday.

The unit is likely to be disbanded by April.

No decision on the re-deployment of the seven officers has been taken yet.