THE chief executive of City of York Council will be asked to write to the Police and Crime Commissioner to ask for extra funding for the police and fire service.

Councillors raised concerns about cuts to frontline services at a full council meeting on Thursday evening, when Cllr Ashley Mason, vice chairman of North Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel and Liberal Democrat councillor for Dringhouses and Woodthorpe, put forward a motion demanding more resources for police so that they can “protect residents”.

Speaking at the meeting he said: “North Yorkshire Police is underfunded this year by £1.27 million. To put this into context, ten years ago there were two and a bit police officers for every 10,000 residents and now we’ve got one and a half police officers for every 10,000 residents. I think it’s time the council stood up for our frontline services.”

Cllr Jonny Crawshaw, Labour councillor for Micklegate Ward, said: “Residents in the Nunnery area of Micklegate are feeling the sharp end of policing cuts. There was a fire on Dale Street a couple of weeks ago, it was the culmination of years of growing anti-social behaviour and drug abuse. This is what happens when you take thousands of police officers off the streets.”

But Cllr Peter Dew, Conservative councillor for Rawcliffe and Clifton Without Ward, said: “We often find ourselves at council requesting that the chief executive writes a letter. I find this rather puzzling because the proposer of the motion, Cllr Mason, is vice chairman of the police and crime panel. It would probably be more useful if he’d spoken to her directly. Of course we support the police and the fire service.” Councillors voted in favour of the motion.