North Yorkshire police authority is on a collision course with staff associations over changes to the way in which salaries are paid.

The Police Federation, representing rank and file officers, is to seek a judicial review of the authority decision to start paying salaries, overtime and expenses monthly, instead of on the present four-weekly cycle, from next year.

Federation spokesman Mr Bob Humpleby made the announcement immediately after the authority, meeting in Leyburn on Monday, supported a recommendation by its audit committee.

The changes have also been opposed by Unison, the union representing civilian police support staff, which said that if they were introduced, compensation should be paid to its members.

The federation and the union, which were both consulted on the changes, said they would do nothing to help staff morale, which had already been affected by radical changes made to the structure of the force.

The force has a system under which payments are made to staff in advance, and one effect of the changes will be to reduce these payments from two weeks to one week.

Authority members were told that the changes would not only generate an estimated saving of £68,500 in a full year but would mean better financial management by placing salaries on the same monthly basis as the force budgeting process.

Assistant chief constable Mr Peter Walker urged the authority to make a decision one way or the other on Monday and said: ""The biggest morale eater in any organisation is uncertainty.''

Baroness Harris of Richmond, chairman of the authority, said: ""We have listened extremely carefully to the views of the staff associations.''