EVERY so often a proposal emerges which leaves us gasping in outrage.

We bring you one such notion tonight. North Yorkshire police are considering introducing a premium rate telephone line for non-emergency calls.

Chief Constable Della Cannings believes that making people pay more than the rate of a national call is a good idea. It would bring in extra cash to fund the constabulary. She may be well intentioned but she is wrong.

We are the first to encourage imaginative solutions to problems, and the force's call-handling service is certainly in need of reform.

This, however, goes beyond good sense. Here we list the many reasons why the proposal should be dropped (all for no extra charge):

1. North Yorkshire residents are already paying enough for the police with two large hikes in the council tax precept in successive years.

2. Charging a premium rate for non-emergency calls would discourage people from reporting crime and suspicious activity.

3. That would reduce the flow of intelligence and drive a wedge between the public and their police force.

4. The charge would penalise crime victims.

5. Ditto public-spirited citizens.

6. The rich would use it, the poor would not, creating a two-tier service.

7. More people would dial 999 for non-emergencies, placing extra strain on an already over-burdened system.

8. The local link between a community and its neighbourhood police station would be eroded.

If this were not enough, we also report tonight that the fire brigade may soon charge a fee for pumping out floodwater or rescuing a cat from a tree. Only the ambulance service and the coastguard have yet to draw up a tariff.

Updated: 10:21 Wednesday, February 11, 2004