THE Government has quashed growing speculation that it has agreed to allow the US to site interceptor missiles at a North base.

It denied there were plans to install a missile system at RAF Fylingdales, in North Yorkshire, as part of the US "Son of Star Wars" defence programme.

The statement has been welcomed by local council chiefs following concern caused by rumours that have been circulating for weeks.

Yesterday's denial, by Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram, came in a letter to the leader of North Yorkshire County Council, Councillor John Weighell.

Coun Weighell wrote to Mr Ingram following a national newspaper claim that a deal had been made to allow the US to site missiles at Fylingdales, where a multi-million pound upgrade is being carried out.

Mr Ingram said: "There has been no US request to base missiles known as interceptors on UK soil, and therefore no deal, secret or otherwise.

"We continue to have discussions with the US on a wide range of ballistic missile defence issues, including ballistic missile defence for Europe. However, these do not involve specific architectures or basing assumptions.

"We have also emphasised to the National Park authority and others that there are no current plans for major developments at the RAF Fylingdales site, and that any future major developments at RAF Fylingdales are unlikely.

"There is no planned change in the usage of the Fylingdales site as a radar establishment, and the MoD cannot foresee circumstances in which it would wish to propose any major new development at the station that is not commensurate with its current role as a radar establishment."

Coun Weighell said: "I feel confident that the message from the MoD will go a long way towards ending the speculation and rumour."