MOST people who work through the New Millennium celebrations will receive handsome financial reward. But Lancashire Ambulance staff have been told they may not receive any extra cash and that there could be no funding available to put extra ambulances on the road over a period which could turn out to be their busiest ever.

Ambulance staff must find it a bit galling when they see barmen, waitresses, taxi drivers and doormen being offered huge amounts of money to work while the majority of people get down to serious celebrations.

We are not decrying that. There is nothing wrong with people who work unsocial hours being paid accordingly.

But it does seem strange that the people we will need most at such a time are expected to carry on as if they are operating normal hours.

Ambulance crews are probably right when they say they will be pushed to breaking point during the celebrations.

A normal New Year's celebration gives them and the other emergency services enough problems. Goodness knows what New Millennium Eve - and the relaxed licensing hours which follow - will bring. The Department of Health says it will be up to individual health trusts to decide whether there is extra cash available.

The trusts face a dilemma. If they hand out money to ambulance staff for working through the New Millennium there will be howls of indignation from those who will say the money would be better spent on such things as shortening operation waiting lists.

Pubs, clubs and restaurants will recoup their unsocial hours payments from the public.

Perhaps there is a case here for the government to make extra money available on a one-off basis.

The cash would come from the Exchequer who gets it from the general public.

And we feel sure the public would say that the people who will probably face the busiest few days of their working lives deserve a little extra.

After all, it will be 1,000 years before we are asked to shell out again!

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