THE Press's Fund Our Force petition has been signed by more than 700 people, little more than a week after it was launched.

And another 330 people have signed up to a similar petition placed on the Downing Street website by North Yorkshire Tory Parliamentary candidates Julian Sturdy, Nigel Adams and Andrew Jones.

The petitions were launched after the Chief Constable of North Yorkshire, Grahame Maxwell, warned that the force could suffer a cut of up to £10 million in money from the Government under a proposed new funding formula.

He said the formula, which is out to consultation until the end of today, would give a bigger Government grant to high-crime, urban forces and a smaller sum to rural forces with low crime rates, such as North Yorkshire.

He claimed such a cut would have a "devastating" effect on policing in the county, and the Police Federation, which represents ordinary bobbies, said the consequences were "potentially catastrophic."

North Yorkshire MPs from across the political spectrum have pledged to fight any cuts in funding to the force.

Our petition calls on Home Secretary Jacqui Smith to ensure North Yorkshire continues to receive adequate funding to keep crime levels down, and abandons plans which could mean a £10 million reduction in the force's grant.

All City of York Councillors backed our campaign at a full council meeting last week and hundreds of Press readers have signed petition forms in the newspaper, online, at stalls held in Parliament Street and on the counters of newsagents across the area.

Unfortunately, many petition coupons posted to the newspaper by readers in recent days will probably not reach our HQ in Walmgate until after tomorrow's deadline, because of the postal strike.

The Downing Street petition calls on the Prime Minister to protect the funding of North Yorkshire police by scrapping the proposed changes to the way police grants are calculated.

Because it has been signed by more than 200 people, the Prime Minister and his staff will now be obliged to respond to the petition, according to Mr Sturdy, who is the Tory candidate for the York Outer seat.