REVELLERS spending a penny in Colchester’s nightspots are being offered free tests for sexually transmitted infections.

Drinkers at the Playhouse pub, in Osborne Street, were greeted in the toilets by NHS staff offering a free check for chlamydia.

The results of the test, estimated to cost about £4 each, are then sent by text.

Those found to have chlamydia, which is symptom-free but can lead to chronic pelvic pain and infertility, can then collect free treatment at a pharmacy.

Jonny Minns, a 26-year-old medical student from Colchester, said he was surprised to be offered a test, but thought it was a good idea.

He added: “I suppose you can’t be too careful.

“I think chlamydia is more common than many people realise, and this certainly caught my attention.”

A team from NHS North Essex is carrying out the tests and aims to persuade one in six 15 to 24-year-olds to get screened.

As well as targeting nightspots in the region, the screening service has also visited schools and colleges, youth clubs, the town’s garrison and the military prison.

Teens and young adults have also been sent tests to their homes, with the offer of a free cinema voucher if they try it, while students starting at Essex University are now receiving them.

It is estimated one in ten people who get checked will test positive for chlamydia.

To get a test, call 01206 363003.