A 24-hour emergency control room is being set up by Braintree District Council to deal with problems throughout the Christmas and millennium period.

A volunteer team of key officers and staff will be on call through a mobile phone, pager and satellite telephone system, while computer and telephone links have already been set up with County Hall, the emergency services and utility companies.

As the district enters the new millennium, an hour by hour contact will be maintained with the Home Office.

Staff have already been taken through a series of exercises including the severe weather scenario of Exercise Millennium Hour and setting up an emergency rest centre.

Contact has also been made with the Met Office and communities at parish level.

District safety and emergency officer Kathy Brown said: "We are not expecting any major problems but we are prepared.

"What we will be seeing throughout the holiday is just an enhancement of our standard procedure."

The emergency control room will be staffed from December 24 to January 5.

Most council services will be closed through the Christmas and millennium holiday, from December 25 to January 3 inclusive.

Emergency hotline: 01376 552525.

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