THE end of Tornado fighters at RAF Leeming as part of a shake-up to the UK's Armed Forces does not mean the base will close, the station's commander has said.

Both RAF Leeming's Tornado F3 squadrons will go by 2008, along with 20,000 jobs across the military, the loss of 12 ships and the merger of 19 regiments, including the North-East's Green Howards, into larger regional units.

Group Captain Brian Bates, station commander of RAF Leeming, in North Yorkshire, said No 11 (Fighter) Squadron would be disbanded by October 31 next year. No 25 (Fighter) Squadron will cease flying by 2008, as was previously planned.

Grp Capt Bates said: "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 21st Century.

"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."

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

But Grp Capt Bates said some of the 7,500 job cuts faced by the RAF may affect Leeming.

He said: "There will have to be more pain. We will have to move people who do not want to be moved.

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

He said the loss of the Tornado squadrons would be welcomed by some North Yorkshire residents, who objected to low flying aircraft passing overhead.

He said: "There will be a decline in air traffic of about 50 per cent, which should please some people."

Tornados have been stationed at the base since 1988 and have recently served in the Gulf.