THE number of military personnel and civilians serving at an RAF base in North Yorkshire is to be reduced.

US European Command said 500 posts would be shed at RAF Menwith Hill, near Harrogate, by October 2016.

The base currently employs about 2,200 people. The Ministry of Defence said the number of British civilians who work there would also be reduced, although it did not confirm the number. The station, famous for its “golf ball” radar domes, has been described as the largest electronic monitoring station in the world, with its main purpose being to provide intelligence support.

Almost two-thirds of those employed there are US nationals. The MoD said operations would not be affected by the reduction in personnel.