RURAL police officers have given their assurances that a proposed merger of forces will not affect the way the countryside is policed.

Their comments come as a pilot service is launched to keep people in contact with their local bobbies.

Critics of a proposed merger of all three North-East police forces fear it would be centred around urban areas of population and money and resources would be directed away from rural policing.

However, Community Sergeant Bill Dutton, from Barnard Castle police in Teesdale, County Durham, believes the level of policing will actually increase in rural areas if a merger goes ahead.

Sgt Dutton said: "We already work quite closely with other forces on rural issues.

"Rural criminals don't work in isolated areas and don't respect traditional police boundaries.

"Problems such as not being able to talk to each other on radios would not happen on a merged force and there would be greater shared intelligence."

The proposed merger is designed to provide better response to the threat of terrorism and major incidents and also to meet the demand of neighbourhood policing.

While there may be changes to the command structure, front-line policing in rural areas would not be affected, said Sgt Dutton.

"But what this means is we can also share best practice and also, resources which we don't have, such as underwater rescue, will be more accessible," he said

"It will be business as usual for us."

The Teesdale and Weardale Search and Rescue Team (TWSRT) announced yesterday it feared that a division of Durham Police under any restructuring could impact on the support it received from the force.

Team leader Dave Bartles-Smith said: "Clearly any division of policing in County Durham would restrict or result in the loss of much of the support we already receive and the progress achieved together to date.

"The increasing expectations placed upon us, need and deserve a supportive police relationship, and any separation of County Durham policing would place greater burdens upon us."

Sgt Dutton said he hoped the relationship between Durham Police and TWSRT could be used as best practice within a merged force with other rescue teams.

As part of its community policing project, Streetsafe, Durham Constabulary is to pilot Dial-A-Bobby scheme in Bishop Auckland.

This will allow members of the public direct access to their beat officers through a personalised messaging system.

The force's business manager, Superintendent Jane Spraggon, said the initiative had come about from a search to improve neighbourhood policing, especially in rural areas.

She said: "It has become clear the public want to see more uniforms on the street, better response times when they call us and the opportunity to talk directly to their local bobby.

"What we are doing is entirely in line with Government thinking and our proposals to improve will not be threatened by any force mergers."