A RESTAURATEUR is warning that the much-hyped millennium eve will turn into a damp squib unless pubs, bars, clubs and restaurants follow his lead and slash their prices.

Ray Peake, owner of the popular Callum's Bistro, in Accrington, says that money talks and customers just aren't prepared to pay inflated prices for a night out on December 31 1999.

Ray was originally planning to charge £199.99 for a seven-course meal on New Year's Eve but customer reactions have forced him to re-think his plans.

Instead, he is going to ignore millennium eve completely and take his customers back to the future with the French Revolutionary Calendar - and have prices to match.

He said: "There has been so much hype about millennium eve and talk of restaurants charging £500 a head, and taxi firms and pubs all charging extortionate prices.

"But when it comes to the crunch people just cannot afford or refuse to pay those kind of prices." Ray is now planning to take his diners back to September 22 1792 - the start of the French Revolutionary Calendar.

So on December 31 1999, the year will actually be 207 - 793 years away from the first millennium.

And customers will be charged £48.50 for a seven-course dinner.

Ray said: "Basically, I think the whole service industry has got things wrong for millennium eve. They have got their prices wrong, they haven't anticipated the reaction of customers, and I think staff in a lot of establishments have got inflated opinions of their worth.

"I think that if restaurateurs and club owners don't have a rethink their establishments will be empty on New Year's Eve.

"Personally, I think a lot of them are quietly frightened that will be the case, but I am the first to make the bold move and slash my prices."

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