SEE Colchester as you have never seen it before.

The usual weekend hustle and bustle of Colchester town centre was reduced to an eery quiet as people confined themselves to their homes.

After the Government ordered pubs and restaurants to close and requested restricted contact between people, the country’s nightlife stopped.

Pictures taken across Colchester over the weekend show the town centre became a ghost town.

Mike Lilley, Colchester councillor responsible for public safety, said the council is also losing out on its usual revenue streams.

“Our car parks are empty and we do rely on that income,” he said.

“It is right to take this measure, it is right everything is closing down, but we can see this knock-on effect spreading out to a lot of people employed to serve the nighttime economy.

“A lot of bar and pub staff and a lot of taxi drivers will be feeling the strain.

“I have a meeting to discuss St Mary’s car park, we are having an issue with boy racers roaring around there, taking advantage of the fact it is empty.”

He added: “But not everything is closed, we still have shops and takeaway places which remain open.

“The Government guidance is not clear enough to cover these people.

“We will have to get used to pictures like this over the next 12 weeks and likely longer.”