THE new national policing plan could have a high local price tag for council tax payers in North Yorkshire.

The county's police authority has given a cautious welcome to the plan, which was unveiled by Home Secretary David Blunkett at a conference in Harrogate.

But its members fear that unless the Government provides them with more cash to meet the requirements of the plan they will have to pass the cost on to local people.

The national plan sets out the Government's key aims for the year ahead, and is intended to serve as a guide for police authorities to approve their own local plans.

The Home Secretary said forces must make street crime, burglary, drugs, anti-social behaviour and car crime their top priorities.

Mr Blunkett also told the conference of the Association of Police Authorities that countryside forces would be able to keep the money allocated to them to address the problems of policing rural areas.

Originally, he had intended to scrap the fund which is worth about £2m to North Yorkshire.

The chairman of North Yorkshire's police authority, Councillor Jane Kenyon, said the plan gave clarity to the Government's objectives for police, and she supported the general thrust of the reform proposals.

But she warned: "Unless the Government provides the money for all the things which police authorities and forces are required to do, then either we just can't do them or the cost will inevitably fall upon the local council tax payer."

She also welcomed the announcement about rural funding - something which followed strenuous represent- ation made to the Home Secretary from the authority.

"It will help our financial position," said Coun Kenyon.

However, she said there was a possibility that the police could be over-stretched by the plan.

"It sets targets for police performance in the fields of volume crime and, of course, these need to be a priority," she said.

"But our local communities are every bit as concerned about anti-social behaviour and are calling on the police to do their bit to address these problems.

"There is a danger that they won't be able to do both."