THE chief constable of North Yorkshire has issued a stinging reply to criticism that a reported £250,000 has been unnecessarily spent on what have been described as the perk of company cars for some of her most senior officers.

Della Cannings said the claim earlier this week was a "disgraceful slur" on her and on the force policing England's largest county.

Harrogate MP Phil Willis reacted furiously to a report that the force had bought ten Land Rover Discoveries and 15 Volvo V70 cars for superintendents and chief superintendents who at present have cheaper and less powerful transport.

The force said the new vehicles had been bought at a discount to replace others which, at almost four years old, had covered a relatively high mileage of between 56,000 and 90,000.

Mr Willis said that when Ms Cannings proposed a controversial 76pc increase in the force's share of council tax precepts last year, he demanded to meet her and only supported the rise after he was categorically assured that the money raised would be spent on front-line policing.

Earlier this year the police authority approved a rise in the precept of just under 10pc.

This week Mr Willis, a former North Yorkshire councillor, said he was appalled to learn that a reported £250,000 was being spent on what he called luxury company cars for senior officers while ordinary ranks were struggling to patrol North Yorkshire town centres.

He said that while the force might have got a good deal on the new transport, many of his constituents who were elderly and on fixed incomes had seen their council tax bills rise dramatically because of last year's increase in the police precept.

Ms Cannings did not disclose how much the force had spent on the vehicles but claimed Mr Willis was trying to link the police precept increase to a straightforward piece of asset replacement.

She said that under a previous chief constable, the police authority had agreed to a proposal for operational police cars to be issued to superintendents and chief superintendents.

There were clear advantages because the cars had flashing blue lights, two-tone horns, matrix stop signs and police radio systems.

It was decided, however, that the vehicles would also be used by other ranks for a variety of operational purposes.

Ms Cannings said: "It would be cheaper to provide cars than to pay officers to use their own vehicles. They would pay for any private use including the tax liability."

Ms Cannings said: "Superintendents provide senior officer cover across North Yorkshire's 2m acres 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

"It is not acceptable to me that such officers could be called out at 2am to a major incident and have to load his or her equipment and protective clothing into the family car, drive across rugged terrain and on arrival to take control of a very serious incident armed with nothing more than a mobile phone."

Ms Cannings said the force already had several Land Rovers with valuable four-wheel drive and ten new ones were being equipped to serve as mobile command posts until the arrival of more specialised equipment.