Teletext helps keep the City's population up to date

Commuters and residents in the City of London are tuning in to a pounds 60,000 hi-tech television information service - the first to be provided by a local council in Britain.

Up to 6,000 residents and 300,000 workers in the City can pick up 24-hour news on travel, property and the work of the Corporation of London by switching on ITV's Teletext service.

Information will be available at the touch of a button every day on the ITV network in the Carlton/LWT, Central, Meridian and Anglia regions.

A spokeswoman for the Corporation of London said the service was introduced because of the nature of the City's population - few residents and many commuters.

''The aim is to communicate with the City more speedily, she said. 'This is a quick and efficient way of doing it.

The service will provide news, details of traffic and information promoting the work of the corporation.

It is the first local council to provide a full information service on Teletext, although other London councils have used it for one-off services.

Michael Cassidy, chairman of the Corporation's policy and resources committee, said: 'The City market place depends on instant communication. Making sure that the City is well-informed of what we are doing is essential. Screen-based information is part of modern city life, so it was logical that we should consider transmitting information in the same way. I hope people will find this new service helpful and informative.