MUCH vaunted plans to re-house police officers in the centre of Horsforth have been dealt a potentially killer blow.

Ever since the new library at the Mechanics Institute on Town Street was announced, councillors and Horsforth and Aireborough MP Paul Truswell have been working towards getting the area's Neighbourhood Policing team installed at the old library building.

But now, only months from the new library's expected opening, ward councillors have been told the police won't fund the scheme.

Horsforth Town Councillor Mick Grubb, an ex-Detective Chief Inspector, said: "I'm absolutely disgusted and very disappointed with the decision.

"For the future of Horsforth it is imperative that we have some police presence in the town. If the police were going to remain at the existing station on Broadway that would be okay, but my information is they are going to go.

"If they offload the station that's there and there's no replacement then the police will have to get to Horsforth from Weetwood, and that's too far.

"The local police and their last commander, who I met with our MP Paul Truswell to talk about this, all seemed to have a certain amount of enthusiasm for the idea.

"I definitely wanted it for the town and the town council was behind it, so I'm very disappointed. I sympathise with the police a lot about the extra duties they've had, to tackle terrorism, since September 11.

"But I hope a way can still be found to do this."

Councillor Brian Cleasby (Lib Dem, Horsforth) said: "We are furious about this because we have been working for years to get the police into the old library building beside the new complex in Horsforth.

"Now it seems to have fallen through at the last minute because a police department in Wakefield doesn't want to put the money in.

"We were offering the Neighbourhood Policing team the whole lower room, but they've turned it down. It would have been bringing the police back home in a way, because this was where the old police station was in the first place.

"This would have put the team right into the heart of the community. Last week, we just agreed on £5,000 extra overtime money for them to get extra policing into Horsforth, something we've done many times.

"And we've provided CCTV cameras for the police, the town council has too, and we provide the running costs for two of those cameras in Horsforth.

"So it's really annoying when we ask them to do this and it's turned down. But it's not the local police who are against it.

"We've talked this through with them about having a central contact point for our residents where they could go and give information and so on, and about having police cars parked there, which would have been a strong visual deterrent.

"It would have looked good and given people a lot of confidence when they came shopping in Horsforth. But it's all been lost due to somebody in Wakefield."

Mr Truswell, meanwhile, says he will be seeking clarification on the matter when he meets new Pudsey/Weetwood Divisional Commander Chief Superintendent Howard Clayton this week to discuss local policing issues.

He said: "Ian Levitt (the previous Chief Superintendent) was clearly committed to identifying a base for the community police team in Horsforth.

"I hope that this will remain a priority, even if the use of the Mechanics Institute has been ruled out, though I will be asking for more information about this."