Millennium revellers leaving Oxfordshire for the New Year celebrations can now start planning their journeys following the release of public transport arrangements.

Oxfordshire County Council has issued details of train, ferry, and London Transport services over the period, to allow party-goers to plan ahead.

County emergency planning officer John Kelly said that although New Year transport timetables had yet to be finalised, details had been released now to allow revellers to make arrangements early.

Most public transport services will be scaled down over the holiday, though skeleton or Sunday services will be in force on trains, tubes, and cross-Channel ferries. Special arrangements will be in place along the Thames in London, where the Millennium Dome and huge London River Event are expected to draw massive crowds.

Many underground stations will also be closed overnight, though there will be more night buses.

Mr Kelly said: "I would not discourage people from having spontaneous events, but it is better to go to an organised event. "We have no feel for how many parties are going on, but there is very little that will concern us in Oxfordshire.

"One thing that had concerned us was that without public transport, people would not be able to go to London and we would get more unplanned parties."

He added: "Our advice to revellers is to plan early."

Story date: Friday 03 September

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