TONY Elliott, founder and owner of the international Time Out brand, has confirmed that he is in "advanced discussions" with advisers, with a view to raising close to £1million to launch Time Out Manchester this autumn.

Speaking to North-west media website How-Do.co.uk, he conceded that the timescale may fall back to January 2008 if negotiations drag but said that he is certain it will happen.

He said: "It is the perfect time to provide this fantastic city with its own handbook'. There is so much going on that people need to know about."

Prior to the weekly magazine's arrival, Time Out has released a City Guide to Manchester, which is to be followed by an expanded Time Out Manchester website.