Four-day break planned for the millennium

BRITAIN will celebrate the millennium with a four-day Bank Holiday weekend under plans drawn up by Chris Smith, the Culture Secretary, which are expected to be approved by Cabinet this month.

Friday, December 31, 1999 will be declared a Bank Holiday under the scheme, and the standard New Year's Day holiday will be taken on Monday January 3, 2000 because January 1 falls on a Saturday. That means most Britons will be able to usher in the new millennium with a one-off midwinter long weekend.