Frustrated York residents have urged North Yorkshire's most senior police officer to turn cash into action on the city's streets.

They asked Chief Constable Della Cannings to give the city, which suffers more than 40 per cent of all crime in the county, more officers and resources.

But Ms Cannings said she was "between a rock and a hard place" and that the "lion's share" of resources already go to the York and Selby area.

Speaking at a meeting last night to discuss next year's police precept increase, she asked residents to support an increase of at least 34p per week on an average house to continue to deliver the current level of service.

But she added that there were extra opportunities to invest in more community support officers, longer police station opening times and extra work to reduce road casualties.

Retired builder Bill Tomlinson, 68, of Wigginton, said he was angry that council money was being wasted on community rangers and security patrols.

He said: "We pay the police to do a job. They are not doing it so we employ a security firm instead. The security firm has very little authority and the money might as well be thrown down the drain."

Colin Barton, 40, of The Groves, said he would support extra police funding to tackle problems such as car crime, antisocial behaviour and vandalism.

Chapelfields resident James Shepherd, 64, who was attacked in the street near his home earlier this year, said he was pleased with the police service he had received.

But he asked the Chief Constable to improve call handling systems so information from the public could get through easily, quickly and effectively.

City of York Council Labour group leader Dave Merrett criticised what he claimed was the unfair allocation of resources across North Yorkshire.

Updated: 10:43 Wednesday, December 17, 2003