TAX payers in Bury can speak face-to-face with council advisers even though they are four miles away.

Bury Town Hall boasts a video link so people can talk to a human face at the authority's Whittaker Street premises in Radcliffe.

A private booth, using touch screen technology, has been set up at the town hall's reception desk that is linked to consoles at Radcliffe.

And pictured face to face using the video conference link is Bury Council deputy leader Councillor Derek Boden and Coun Sylvia Mason

Coun Boden, finance spokesman, said: "While the telephone link from the town hall is easy to use, not everyone likes the impersonal nature of telephones.

"Thanks to video conferencing, we can offer that personal touch for our customers and I am sure that will be appreciated."

Coun Sylvia Mason, executive member for communications and community development, added: "Over the coming years we are committed to even wider application of computers and associated equipment. However, we are also determined that this will be in the most user-friendly fashion that we can devise."