A RECORD half a million people logged on to the internet in February and enjoyed the benefits of fishing online with the Fish4 services, whether it was to search for a new home, car or job, or the number of a local business. That's more people than ever before!

Nowhere else, either on or off the internet, can you access so many cars, homes, jobs or businesses all in one place.

The Fish4 services, which are backed by the Lancashire Evening Telegraph Telegraph and can be accessed via www.thisislancashire.co.uk, enabling you to find anything you want, anywhere in the country.

It's convenient because you can search at any time of day, quick and extremely easy to use.

Fish4jobs offers the largest pool of jobs online with over 30,000 vacancies. If you're looking for local work, you can search by job title and area, specify whether it's a part-time, shared or temporary position that you're looking for and the kind of salary you're hoping to earn. By registering your details on Fish4jobs, you can even have information on relevant new vacancies e-mailed to you directly.

You can apply for many of the positions on Fish4jobs online, so no more dashes to catch the last post. The site also features useful advice including company profiles, CV first aid and tips for interviews.

Fish4homes currently holds information on over 90,000 properties, both for sale and for rent - more than any other website in the country. You can make your search as general or as specific as you choose, even indicating how many bedrooms, reception rooms and bathrooms you need, and how much you're willing to spend. Within seconds, a list of suitable properties pops up, along with details on how to contact the relevant estate agent by telephone or e-mail.

For extra convenience, there's a 'Fish4 Me' option which once again means you can register your details and have information on suitable properties e-mailed to you.

The site also includes the latest property news, lists of estate agents by area, mortgage brokering facilities, a buyer's guide, glossary, interest rate table and tips on moving.

Fish4cars is the largest source of used cars on the internet, with between 180,000 and 200,000 vehicles online at any one time.

Fish4's special lifestyle search facility lets you type in what you want in terms of price, size, fuel, economy and transmission, and the site will come up with a list of suggestions just for you. Alternatively, the standard facility enables you to search for a specific make and model in a particular area of the country. There's lots of helpful information too, including road tests, new car specifications, best sellers, new and used car dealer listings, and online quotes for insurance, finance and warranties. If you're selling as well as buying, you can register your existing car on the site for just £5 for two weeks.

But there's more to Fish4 than just cars, homes and jobs.

Fish4directory carries details on two million businesses across the country, from plumbers to electricians to restaurants and even more obscure businesses such as taxidermists. You can search by name or type of business to find out exactly what's in your area.

So whatever you need to find, make sure that the first place you look is Fish4.

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