IT doesn't do much for the perception of public relations when North Yorkshire police authority holds its annual precept fixing meeting at a venue almost in another county.

The choice of South Milford, between Leeds and Selby, didn't appear to be universally popular in the northern part of England's largest county where people were again being asked to cough up more cash for police services.

Those with cars who wished to observe the proceedings on Monday would have found it a doddle to nip down the A1, but anyone relying on public transport would have had to give up the best part of a whole day, if they managed to make it at all.

An authority spokesman who recommended a bit of car sharing for anyone interested in attending - in principle a reasonable idea - also explained rather lamely that it had not been possible to find any other venue with enough space.

Sorry, sir. Spectator just doesn't believe that will wash among people without access to either car sharing or public transport in Hawes, Reeth and villages on the borders of Cumbria, County Durham and Cleveland who might have been just as interested in hearing the debate as those in more populated areas closer to the venue.

The authority having gone through the motions of consulting them on the budget, and even then at some inconvenient times, they are going to take some convincing that a more central and accessible place with enough elbow room was not available when it came to making the vital decision that will affect council tax levels.

Flights of fancy

LOW-cost airline bmibaby still hasn't got it's head round the idea of Teesside.

Readers may recall the airline's first attempt at describing the attractions of the area in its in-flight magazine. This amounted to totally ignoring it and instead concentrating on how close the airport was to Newcastle and York.

The airline promised changes in the next edition of the magazine, which Spectator obtained a copy of at the weekend.

Progress has been made in as much as it does at least acknowledge the presence of Middlesbrough and Stockton, singling out the Capt Cook birthplace museum and HM Bark Endeavour as worthy of visits. It also talks about "shopping in the town and city centres" (which city centre is that?).

However, the magazine can't quite lose its obsession with Newcastle and York stating that both are "approximately 50 minutes away" via the airport link road. As Teesside Airport to York is at least 50 miles that would be going some. Has the person with the responsibility for writing this guff ever been to Teesside?