AT your service! That's the new company of a Bury businessman who aims to put the motorist well and truly in the driving seat.

For Lee Petch and his business partner Andrew Jones have established what they hail as a "unique product" on the Internet.

Their web site, "www.garagelocator.co.uk", can be accessed by drivers who want to book their cars in for a service at a garage of their choice.

It's a spanners to microchips story for 40-year-old Lee of Melrose Avenue, Bury, who worked as a motor mechanic for 15 years before being employed for a training company.

He said: "The Internet user can find a particular town he or she wants and then locate a suitable garage.

"The site will give them information on what each of the garages offers in terms of breakdowns, MOTs and servicing.

"Using our web site, they will be able to book their cars in at a day and time to suit them."

Participating garages pay for the privilege of being linked to the site, which comes complete with individual booking forms for customers to fill in.

Because the web site is up and running 24 hours a day, users can log on at any time of the day or night.

At present the site is featuring a clutch of local garages, but Lee is very positive about the prospect of widening the "net" in the future.

The beauty of the system, says Lee, is that the garages taking part don't necessarily have to have their own Internet presence as the web will feature their individual booking forms.

Users taking advantage of the service will have their bookings confirmed by e-mail. Apart from booking their cars in for a service, prospective customers can also arrange mechanical repairs or inspections over the Internet.

Lee said: "We had been looking at possible uses of the Internet and Andrew and I just dreamed this up.

"We spent four or five months preparing it all before the launch.

"We decided that if we didn't take the risk of starting a new business now, we never would."