TOWN Hall bug-busters were so successful that council buildings opened to the public a day early.

Municipal services were unaffected by the much-hyped Millennium threat to services, which bosses say was thanks to months of planning.

Local authority staff were expected to spend the entire first day back after the holidays, Tuesday January 4, checking that all systems were working. But the all-clear was declared within hours, and services made open to the public.

Councillor Derek Boden, council leader, congratulated staff for their work in beating the bug.

"All along we hoped for the best but planned for the worst," he said. "We have been extremely thorough in our preparations and that has paid off."

The council set aside more than half a million pounds to combat the bug and make sure everything worked come the New Year.

Coun Boden added: "The Millennium Bug had the potential to cause untold problems but here in Bury we have got our new Millennium off to a trouble-free start.

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