POLICE officers will be drafted into North Yorkshire from neighbouring forces to help deal with Royal Ascot at York.

Chief Constable Della Cannings said that while hundreds of officers would be involved in policing the meeting from June 14 to 18, this would not be to the detriment of other areas of the county.

She revealed that rest days had been cancelled, a moratorium imposed on annual leave, and officers had been drafted in from other forces.

As a result, other areas in the county would not suffer lower staffing levels, and some areas might even have more policing than normal.

"Hosting such a prestigious event is a tremendous boost for the North," she said.

"Of course, it will present challenges, but we have been planning for this event for more than a year, and I am confident that everything that needs to be done has been done, not only by North Yorkshire Police but by all the relevant agencies involved.

"However, I am also conscious that elsewhere in the county, life will continue as normal, and those communities will still expect, and still receive, a quality policing service."

The Chief Constable's reassurances have been echoed by Superintendent David Short, who has given assurances that police cover in Ryedale would not be diminished during the event.

He said police work would include protection for members of the Royal Family to and from the racecourse and for other VIPs.

A force spokesman said there would be a "strong and highly visible" police presence throughout Ascot, both at the racecourse and in the city, with officers drafted in from across the county as well as neighbouring forces.

He was not able to say how many officers would be drafted in from other forces, nor which forces were involved, but this would be revealed later.

He was also unable to say if, or how much, North Yorkshire would have to pay other forces for their officers, saying: "Funding arrangements are not yet finalised." He confirmed that the Ascot organizers had already agreed to meet some of the costs of policing the event.

The spokesman said that, under the terms of the policing plan, the force was committed to working with the organisers to provide a safe and secure event and to assist City of York Council in implementing a traffic management plan.

It was also committed to providing high visibility policing both at the racecourse and within the city throughout the event, minimising disruption to local people and continuing to deliver normal policing services throughout the force area.

Updated: 10:44 Tuesday, May 17, 2005