REVELLERS from the Leigh area can join Manchester city centre celebrations on New Year's Eve and for the first time rely on a late bus home.

First Manchester's latest late night services, introduced in November in partnership with GMPTA, have proved very popular and will operate as normal on the biggest night of the year.

On December 31, dependent on individual routes, normal daytime services will be progressively withdrawn through to about 7pm after which operations will be restricted to the six core night services operating on key radial routes including the no 39 Leigh-Little Hulton- Manchester.

To support the January sales the same core services will be operated with early buses arriving in Manchester at about 9.30am and continuing to operate until approximately 6.30pm.

On Christmas Eve the same buses will run until 8.30pm but there will be no Christmas Day services.

A full holiday period service leaflet is available from buses and all GMPTE Travelshops or on the transport information line 0161 228 7811 between 8am and 8pm seven days a week.

Timetable information and a web-based journey planner can be accessed on www.gmpte.gov.uk