POLICE and the emergency services in Preston tested their readiness for the Millennium with a special exercise earlier this month.

Around 30 members of local police, fire and ambulance services, along with representatives from Preston Borough Council and the WRVS met at Preston North End to rehearse their roles for the event.

They held a table top exercise to gauge their responses to a major fire in a block of town centre flats that killed three and injured another 105 people.

Acting Chief Inspector George Fawcett, Inspector Andrew Baxter and Sergeant Brian Peers put together the plans.

Chief Insp Fawcett said: "We were very pleased on how the agencies worked together to deal with everything from casualty evacuation, media liaison and public order offences.

"Overall the exercise was of great benefit to everyone involved.

"It was the first of its type and we explored a number of common problems and how we might deal with them.

"There's no blueprint for the millennium and we are approaching it like any other major incident with plans in place to cater for any eventuality."

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