Bolton Council is to become one of the first local authorities in the country to conduct its business in cyberspace.

It is developing a revolutionary system of "e-government" so people can get easier access to services.

The system, which will be built into computers in the town hall, will enable the council to give customers information more quickly.

The council will also use the Oracle 11 Business Suite to update its accounting department. Bolton Council leader Cllr Bob Howarth said: "The move towards e-government represents a revolution in way Bolton Council conducts its business.

"We were intending to replace some of our systems anyway, and this gave us an ideal opportunity to go for something that would meet our needs in these exciting and rapidly changing times."

Computer firms Oracle and Fujitsu have been awarded a 10-year contract to provide and manage the system.