VISITORS gathered for a slice of the celebrations as a service to help youngsters fighting drug and alcohol problems marked its first decade.

Around 80 visitors joined the tenth birthday party of Early Break, held at Bury Town Hall.

They enjoyed a buffet and saw demonstrations of alternative therapies, including ear acupuncture and music therapy, designed to help young people conquer addictions.

Workers and friends of the service, which serves Bury and Rochdale, were able to browse around displays in the room.

The organisation began with trained professionals working from home until it moved into an office in Parsons Lane, Bury, in 1996.

Later, the service moved to its current Crompton Street headquarters, from which home visits are arranged.

Among the opportunities on offer are one-to-one counselling and mediation, with weekly alternative therapy sessions at Bury Parish Church.

Deputy service director Annette Gale said: "It was a very successful event in terms of the number of people who turned up, and the positive comments that we received afterwards.

"The service has been very much appreciated by people and the enthusiasm we saw has fired us up for the future."