POLICE chiefs have pledged to recruit another 100 officers to help a North force to combat rural crime.

A recruitment drive between now and March 2002 will take the North Yorkshire Constabulary's manning levels to 1,420 officers - its highest level since its formation in 1974.

Chief constable David Kenworthy hailed the news as "a shot in the arm for force morale".

He said: "This county already rates among the best in terms of crime performance and I am confident that the extra officers will make a tremendous difference.

"We have spent the past three years reorganising, cutting costs and examining the way we do things.

"Now, we can reap the rewards without having to retrench on the budget."

But he warned that the 100 extra recruits would not mean a policeman on every street corner and in every village.

An improved funding package from Westminster, combined with £800,000 from the Crime-Fighting Fund and £2m from the Rural Policing Fund, covers much of the bill.

However, he said that increasing numbers will cost North Yorkshire's council taxpayers an additional £600,000.

Last March, force officers numbered 1,284.

Mr Kenworthy said: "This will increase to 1,331 by March this year, with new a target set at 1,420 by March 2002."

Chairman of North Yorkshire Police Authority, Baroness Harris of Richmond, said: "The public have told us again and again they want to see more bobbies on the beat and, until now, we have not been able to help.

"Now that we can, I think we have to acknowledge their support, as well as the Government's."

Baroness Harris, due to retire from her post later this year, added: "Personally, I am delighted that, when I stand down in May, it will be at a time when police numbers in North Yorkshire will be higher than they have ever been before."

She predicted little resist-ance from taxpayers over the extra £600,000 cost - which, she said, equates to about 10p a week from each household.

"It's coppers for coppers," she quipped.

l The police authority meets in early February to decide if it will ratify a 9.8 per cent rise in its council tax precept