A LOCAL authority's attempt to grill North Yorkshire's chief constable on police performance has failed after she declined an invitation to attend a committee meeting in Harrogate.

Harrogate Borough Council scrutiny officer, Mark Codman, wrote to Della Cannings, inviting her to attend a meeting of the administration's overview and scrutiny committee which would be dealing with a number of issues.

Members wanted to know more about police manpower in the Harrogate district, the enforcement of speed limits, the constabulary's financial position and the controversial telephone system recently installed at headquarters.

However, in a letter declining the invitation, Ms Cannings said she only answered to the North Yorkshire Police Authority.

She wrote: "The questions you have set out in your letter seem in many cases somewhat strange and indicate a lack of understanding how modern policing is delivered."

Ms Cannings was unavailable for comment yesterday, but scrutiny committee member Councillor Fred Willis confirmed members would be asking her to reconsider.

"We don't want to make the police scapegoats for crime, we want to work with them,'' he said.

"Residents represented by local councillors faced a massive 76 per cent increase in their contributions to the police last year. It seems only fair to ask questions on behalf of people who are making financial contributions to the local police force."

A spokesman for North Yorkshire police said the force had not been notified of the council's response.

"We look forward to hearing from the committee," he said.