THE end of Tornado fighters at RAF Leeming does not mean the base will close, said its station commander.

The Government has announced the most radical reforms of the UK's armed forces for a generation.

As well as 20,000 job cuts across the forces, the loss of 12 ships and vessels and the merger of 19 regiments, including the Green Howards, into larger regional units, both RAF Leeming's Tornado F3 squadrons will go by 2008.

Group Captain Brian Bates, station commander of the North Yorkshire base, said No 11 (Fighter) Squadron will be disbanded by October 31, 2005 and No 25 (Fighter) Squadron will cease flying by 2008, as was previously planned.

"Naturally the early disbandment of the No 11 Squadron is regretted, but is necessary if we are to shape our forces to meet the security challenges of the twenty-first century," said Grp Capt Bates.

"What happens at the base when it stops Tornado operations in 2008 is still to be considered.

"That will be part of a review of defence airfields across the UK.

"What I can say is there are no plans to close RAF Leeming," he said.

No 11 (Fighter) Squadron will re-form as one of the first Typhoon Eurofighter squadrons, which is unlikely to be based at Leeming.

Grp Capt Bates admitted some of the 7,500 job cuts forced on the RAF may affect Leeming. He said: "There will have to be more pain. We will have to move people who don't want to be moved.

"There will be some changes and it will not be good news for everybody."

However the station commander said the loss of the Tornado squadrons would be welcomed by some North Yorkshire residents, who object to the noise of low flying aircraft passing overhead.

"There will be a decline in air traffic of about 50pc - which should please some people," he said.

Tornados have been stationed at the base since 1988 and recently served in the Gulf. The two-seater aircraft are known for being able to patrol at long distances away from base and can refuel in mid-air.