PLANS to base police officers in a York school have been warmly welcomed by community leaders and local police officers.

Sergeant Sarah Bestington, of the Safer Neighbourhoods Team for the Westfield area, said she was looking forward to the move to Westfield Primary School.

She said: "We are really excited about it. It's going to give us the opportunity to work even more closely with the community.

"This is a really exciting opportunity and we can't wait to get started.

"We are planning a week of action in the school, beginning on January 28, to introduce ourselves and do some work with the pupils.

"We want to get them used to see us wandering round in uniform."

The Press told yesterday how officers would be based at the school as part of plans for a £27 million redevelopment of the North Yorkshire force's buildings.

Westfield Primary School will act as a pilot scheme, with officers working from the school during 2008, as North Yorkshire Police Authority launches its plans to replace and refurbish its existing buildings and base about 50 teams of officers in community facilities such as libraries, health centres, schools and shops across the county.

The plan, designed to put policing "at the heart of communities" will take about five years to implement and is a response to calls from the public for a more "visible" police presence on the streets.

The future of all existing police stations - including the one at Fulford Road - is now being debated.

Old police buildings no longer deemed "suitable for modern-day policing" will be sold off and new "Safer Neighbourhood centres", "police response units" and cell blocks will be built.

Mark Barnett, the school's head teacher, said the plans would help children grow up with a healthy respect for the police. He said: "I am pleased to welcome the police on site. We are one of the eight children's centres in York and we want to do as much as we can to work with the local community.

"Obviously this isn't a walk-in police station but by having a base within the community in which they are working, the officer will be able to get out early in the morning and respond to issues quickly.

Westfield ward councillor Andrew Waller, who is also the Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinator for the area, said he was delighted.

"It's something we've been pressing for ever since Acomb police station closed - to have somewhere where people can drop in and have a chat with the police," he said.

"By having the police working out of Westfield School it won't have a public desk but at least they will be in the area and won't have a to clock on and off all the way over at Fulford Road."

"The fact that it is right next to my house is just an added bonus!"

York MP Hugh Bayley said: "I welcome this initiative and it is good that it will be piloted in York.

"The police need a good and close relationship with the community to get the information they need to solve crimes and convict criminals.