THE tax tactics of Boots the chemist came under the spotlight through a protest in Colchester.

Around 20 members of protest group Colchester Against The Cuts donned doctors and nurses outfits before staging a protest outside Boots in Lion Walk.

Watched by a handful of police officers and security guards, they handed out leaflets to shoppers and passers-by.

Spokesman Jean Quinn claimed Boots had relocated to Switzerland to avoid paying £150 million a year to the taxman at a time when public services face drastic funding cuts.

She said: "That £150 million is almost the cost of a new hospital."