Register offices in North Yorkshire are to open for extra days over the Millennium break to make sure there are no delays for people wanting to use them.

Special arrangements have been made at all register offices to ensure that clients will be attended to as quickly as possible.

Plans include extra opening hours, and all offices will be fully staffed to deal with any inquiry.

North Yorkshire is already expected to host Britain's first wedding of the new Millennium, as reported in the Evening Press.

Scarborough couple Gordon Jackson and Barbara Vickers will tie the knot at the town's register office at 8am on January 1, making them one of the first couples to marry in the year 2000.

But offices will also be open at other times for other registrations, including those who have to register a death.

Since the reorganisation of the registration service in October 1998, people can go to any registration office in North Yorkshire to register a birth or death - regardless of where it occurred. Appointments are advised at most offices, and are obligatory in York, to ensure there is no unnecessary delay.

Robin Mair, of North Yorkshire Trading Standards, said: "There are six weddings booked in North Yorkshire for January 1, and people can still book them."

Three of the weddings will be at register offices and three at hotels.

Relatives have five days to register a death, and births must be registered within 42 days.

In York, funeral directors have been given an emergency number so they can make appointments for families when the office is closed.

Gordon Gresty, head of trading standards and regulatory services in North Yorkshire, said: "Priority for appointments will be given to those wishing to register a death over the Millennium period. I would therefore appeal to all clients who wish to discuss their summer wedding with us to wait until after the Millennium celebrations."

Times to register births and deaths

Harrogate: Christmas Eve, December 29 and 30 and January 4, 9.30am - 4.30pm.

Malton: Christmas Eve, December 29 and 30 and January 4, 9.15am - 1pm.

Pickering: Christmas Eve and December 29, 10.30am - 12.30pm; December 30 and January 4, closed.

Selby: Christmas Eve, December 29 and 30 and January 4, 9.30am - 1pm;

Scarborough: Christmas Eve, 9.30am - 1pm; December 29 and 30 and January 4, 9.30am - 4pm.

Whitby: Christmas Eve, 9am - 1pm; December 29, 9.30am - 4pm; December 30 and January 4, 9.30am - 1pm.

All offices are closed from Christmas Day until December 28 and from New Year's Eve to January 3.

York: Christmas Eve, 8.30am to 3pm; December 29 and 30, January 4; 8.30am - 5pm.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.