A WEEK-long Christmas shutdown of council offices in Hyndburn has been given the go-ahead by councillors.

Instead council offices will be open for business for the first time on Easter and Spring Bank Tuesdays in 1997.

The shift of two days leave was approved by Hyndburn personnel and general purposes committee.

Currently the authority's offices are closed to the public for three days during the Christmas and New Year period.

Staff working on cash correction counters and public inquiry points say customers are surprised to find the offices open during the festive holiday period and disappointed that they are shut on the Tuesdays following Easter and Spring Bank.

By closing for an extra two days over Christmas there will be savings on heating and lighting, councillors were told.

As cash correction counters are quiet it appears to make sound financial sense to open on the two Bank Holiday Tuesdays as customers are saying they already expect them to be open.

The unions have been consulted and a Unison ballot of members showed 2-1 in favour of the changes.

Principal personnel and training officer Mrs Julie Johnson said customers wanting to pay bills and requiring council services expected offices to be open on the Tuesdays following Easter and Spring Bank.

She added: "They are telling us we are out of step with other organisations."

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