Some North Yorkshire parish councillors could quit rather than go along with a big shake-up of parish councils planned by the Government.

A Government white paper calls on councils to achieve "quality status" by taking certain actions, including training for councillors, higher levels of training of council clerks and all seats having to be filled by elected councillors.

Councillor Alan Farnaby, who is leader of Ryedale District Council and also clerk to Sheriff Hutton parish council, said he had been told of a number of parish councillors who would not be seeking re-election next year as a result of the white paper's rulings.

He believed that training would be a deterrent for many parish authorities and that higher trained clerks would be seeking increased remuneration.