  Faint star number counts in the photographic \jmag band and \bvcol colour
distributions are presented for a 1.08 deg$^2$ field near the North Galactic
Pole. Due to the excellent star/galaxy discrimination we count stars as faint
as \jmag = 23. We compare the number counts and colour distributions in 5
adjacent fields near SA57. The number counts and colour distributions are in
very good agreement with previous data. However, we find that the large
field-to-field scatter in the colour distributions, which we argue is real,
might prevent us setting strong limits on Galactic structure. A simple two
component standard model, Bahcall and Soneira (1984), fits the number counts
reasonably well at the bright \jmag $< 21$, but fails notably at the faint end,
even if a third component is added, as in Reid and Majewski (1993). The
standard models are in good agreement with both the number counts and colour
distribution at $20 < $\vmag$< 21$. Although the standard models bimodal shape
of the colour distribution compares well with the data at $21 < $\vmag$< 21.5$,
the number counts of stars are underestimated.
