ORGANISATIONS and companies in East Lancashire are bracing themselves for what computer experts warn could be chaos tomorrow.

Most computer users are aware of the threat of the millennium bug where computers could crash because they cannot cope with the date change.

But tomorrow - 9/9/99 - is also seen as a critical date which could throw some older computers into chaos.

Hospitals are confident there will not be a problem with any of its equipment.

"We feel that we have prepared adequately for any potential problem with 9/9/99," said Rob Bellingham of Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley NHS Trust.

"But we will be watching out for any unusual occurrence with computer equipment." Mr Bellingham said that NHS guidelines suggested it was unlikely there would be any particular problems on September 9.

"The NHS issued a circular about the problem which said it was hardly more likely than any other date to affect computers," he said.

Experts believe that small businesses are most at risk.

Despite a huge publicity campaign over the past two years, many firms still haven't done anything to make sure they won't be hit by the millennium bug and it is those which could also be hit tomorrow.

Latest statistics estimated that one in three firms employing less than 250 people in Lancashire have done little to protect themselves.

Business advisers in East Lancashire are on hand to help affected firms.

"There is always the potential that there could be problems tomorrow," said Graeme Edwardson of Business Link East Lancashire. "There are probably a lot of businesses who aren't aware that 9/9/99 could be significant for some computer systems because it is really only in the past few weeks that it has been publicised."

Business Link offers a help service for computers to tackle the millennium bug through its ISI centre at Clayton-le-Moors.

"If firms do experience problems tomorrow they can contact the centre and they will try and help," he added.

Action 2000, the Government's agency set up to tackle the bug, said it was expecting little disruption.

A spokesman said: "It is the first critical date so no-one is exactly sure what will happen. But we have conducted widespread research and we don't anticipate serious problems."

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