THE county's first joint Police and Fire and Rescue service building was opened yesterday by Lord Crathorne, the Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire.

Lord Crathorne unveiled a plaque placed between the two entrances of the building, which is near Bedale market place.

The £444,000 facility in Wycar, which has been occupied for a couple of months, offers a better town centre attendance while reducing the running costs of both emergency services.

Lord Crathorne said: "This joint station represents a blueprint for future partnership working of the emergency services in North Yorkshire.

"The co-operation of the police and fire service shown here is a great advantage to the community they both serve."

Chairmen of the police and the fire authorities, councillors Jane Kenyon and Geoff Rennie, Chief Constable Della Cannings and Chief Fire Officer Eric Clark all took part in yesterday's ceremony.

Ms Cannings said: "The people of Bedale will benefit from this move nearer the town centre, not least in terms of higher visibility of their local officers.

"The new building makes access easier and will reduce response times - and closer contact between officers and the public is good for both."

Ms Cannings also praised the positive and constructive attitude of the Fire Service to the project.

She said: "We have many common aims and similar working practices, and of course, shared costs mean shared savings."

The station, which has been jointly funded, will house both shared and separate facilities.

Police officers will have a private interview room and locker rooms for men and women.

Mr Clark was pleased with the close working of the two services on the project.

He said: "This pioneering joint station provides fire and police officers with the facilities needed to meet the demands of modern emergency services."

Five police officers, two back-up officers and five special constables operate from the base in Bedale. They work alongside a team of 12 retained firefighters, who attend a two-hour practice drill every week.