COLCHESTER could soon get its first midnight pharmacy.

Boots the Chemist has applied for a change of hours at the former McDonald's restaurant in the Tollgate Centre, Stanway.

If it gets the go-ahead it would be allowed to open from 8.30am to midnight from Monday to Thursday, 8am to midnight on Friday and Saturday and 10am to 4pm on Sunday.

This will allow the pharmacy to operate for a total of 100 hours each week.

In April 2005, the opening hours for McDonald's were varied to allow opening from 6am to 10pm from Sunday to Wednesday, and 6am to 11pm from Thursday to Saturday, to protect nearby residents from noise.

A spokesman for Boots said: "Boots is delighted to have acquired the former site of McDonald's, in Tollgate, Colchester.

"The new store will contain the best of health and beauty at Boots, including a midnight pharmacy."

In a letter to Colchester Council's planning department Duncan Bennett, agent for Boots, said the requested opening hours would be a reduction on the current McDonald's hours.

He said: "These proposed hours of operation mean a total of 100 hours of operation per week, which represents a net reduction in hours of 15 per week from the current level.

"The proposal means the premises open two to two-and-a-half hours later in the morning and one to two hours later in the evening from Monday to Friday, with a much reduced opening period on Sundays."

He added: "The proposed 100-hour-pharmacy will help meet the Government's objectives to improve access to pharmacies and to increase the role of pharmacies in the delivery of health care."