THE decision to close the Selby custody suite could be changed but is not likely, a senior officer has said.

It was announced in October that a number of cells around the region would be closed by the force to save money, with suspects driven to the next closest custody suite after arrest.

The cells were closed on October 27, meaning a 14-mile trip for suspects from the town to the cells in York's Fulford Road police station, but Assistant Chief Constable Paul Kennedy said last week the force had mothballed closed units, specifically Skipton, and could look at whether they should be reopened in about 12 months.

When approached by The Press and asked whether the same could be said for the Selby facilities, he said: "What I can say is that we will evaluate the closure of cells at both Skipton and Selby in due course and we will always test our decisions if the evidence tells us to do so.

"The cells at Selby were closed over the busy Christmas and New Year period and there was no adverse impact on operational policing."

ACC Kennedy previously told The Press the changes made "good operational sense", with an average of one person a day being dealt with in custody at Selby, and the majority of those arrested - 86 per cent - being taken to police facilities in York.

He said the closure of cells around the region made "very little actual change to the way we carry out policing".

Despite the closure of the custody suite, the Selby district has seen some increased resources in recent months, albeit with more focus on community policing.

The creation of a new neighbourhood sergeant role based at Eggborough saw Sergeant Kevin Brighton appointed the task of tackling rural and cross-border crime - a major issue in the Selby district.

Last month, volunteers in the district were presented with a rural crime car - based at Eggborough Police Station - as part of a £9,000 scheme funded by Selby Community Safety Partnership, Northern Power Grid and the Selby Community Engagement Forum.

The residents have undergone training to patrol the region and report incidents or suspicious circumstances to North Yorkshire Police over official radios, and support cross-border crime patrols Operation Hawk and Operation Jumbo.