THE transitory nature of Army life could cost Richmondshire's civilian population dear - unless the Government can be persuaded it should be taken into account when it comes to grants.

The most recent census of the population of the district indicated it had fallen by 4,200, prompting Whitehall to award the local authority £150,000 less for the coming financial year.

But a delegation has since made the journey to the capital to point out the 8.2 per cent drop in the population can be partly explained by military postings in and out of Catterick Garrison.

It is hoped - after meeting Richmondshire District Council chief executive Harry Tabiner, council leader Councillor John Blackie, and Richmond MP William Hague - Treasury Minister, Ruth Kelly, will be persuaded to think again.

District council principal policy officer Paul Steele is also to meet Office of National Statistics officers to discuss the figures in more detail.

If an anomaly can be proved, the council would be in a better position to seek compensation.

"The council was alerted to the problem by a local enumerator who noted many of the census forms she saw gave a home address other than Richmondshire," said Mr Tabiner.

"This was most likely due to rules laid out by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) on places of usual residency.

"These have produced a false impression of the military population in the district because many of the soldiers living in the area would have been assigned to residences elsewhere. The ONS has told us anyone consulting the census helpline for advice would have been asked which address they felt was their home.

"In addition, any soldier posted at Catterick for less than six months at the time of the census would automatically have been required to assign themselves to their family home. These soldiers do not show in the census population for the garrison."

Mr Tabiner added: "To have this reduction in numbers is more noticeable in an area like Richmondshire, where the military forms a high proportion of the whole population and any reduction in funding creates enormous difficulties at a time when demand for services is increasing rather than decreasing."