TROUBLE-shooting council bosses have prepared a package to help computer users avoid the Millennium meltdown.

Experts have predicted major problems with computer programmes at the start of the year 2000 as technology struggles to cope with new data.

Some equipment will assume the year is 1900 rather than 2000 which could cause massive headaches to local industry leaders and organisations.

The meltdown could also affect anything that uses a computer chip, including videos, fax machines and credit cards.

Now town hall chiefs have produced an information pack to combat the problem. Council leader John Wilson said: "Chorley identified the Millennium bug some time ago and for the past two years we have been checking, testing and replacing equipment which may be affected throughout the council.

"We have task groups working on this issue and we are confident that any problems in the council will be kept to a minimum.

"The information pack is for businesses and organisations which may still need help with the issue. It is important people respond as quickly as possible."

The packs are available from the finance department at the civic offices in Union Street, Chorley.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.