THE Royal Air Force is to leave its North Yorkshire base after 65 years because new fighter planes will be stationed in Scotland instead, it emerged yesterday.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the decision not to deploy the Joint Combat Aircraft (JCA) at RAF Leeming, near Northallerton, meant the RAF had no long-term use for the base.

Defence chiefs hope they can interest the Army in the unwanted air base.

The Army already runs Europe's largest military base at nearby Catterick and Leeming could be an additional training area.

But last night the MoD admitted no deal had been done. A spokesman said complete closure could not be ruled out.

Either way, the 1,700 military and civilian staff at the base, which opened in 1940, face up to two years of uncertainty before a decision is made in 2007.

The 25 Tornado Fighter Squadron is due to leave Leeming in 2008, leaving only the 100 Hawk Squadron, and administration and air defence staff.

The decision to base the JCA at RAF Lossiemouth, near Inverness, was announced to the House of Commons by Defence Secretary John Reid.

Dr Reid said Leeming had been ruled out as a possible second base because of "the disproportionately high noise impact".

An MoD spokesman told The Northern Echo: "The JCA was the last significant RAF option for Leeming. Now it's not going there, it looks likely that the base will be handed over to the Army.

"The Army are currently looking at options in and around Catterick. We don't think Leeming will close altogether, but we can't rule that out."

RAF Cottesmore, in Rutland, and RAF Marham, in Norfolk, would be considered should a second base be required for the JCAs in the future, the MoD said.

Anne McIntosh, MP for Vale of York, said she understood the noise concerns, but criticised the MoD for failing to produce an overall strategy for its 50 airfields.

She said: "This might have been prevented if there was a less piecemeal approach. It will be a very sad day if there is no longer an RAF presence at Leeming."

Councillor John Weighell, leader of North Yorkshire County Council, said: "If Leeming was to close completely it would be a very sad day for the surrounding community from an economic and job creation point of view.

"But the comments I have had from the MoD lead me to believe the possibility of a facility as modern as Leeming simply being closed is unlikely."

Carl Les, the district councillor for Bedale, the nearest town to Leeming, said: "I'm sure the local community will breathe a huge sigh of relief that it's not going to be subjected to this very noisy new fighter flying overhead.

"But of course we must look for a commitment to the continued use of Leeming because of its importance to the local economy."