Pub and club owners have been given their say on plans to introduce a late night levy in Colchester.
Representatives from Memoirs Restaurant and Cocktail Bar, Yates’s and Liquid and Envy Colchester attended Colchester Council’s Task and Finish Group for Alcohol Consumption on Thursday. 
Essex Police inspector Jason Scrivener also attended.
A number of alternatives to the late night levy were also discussed.
The meeting, as with all task and finish groups, was held behind closed doors to allow the representatives to speak frankly about their businesses.
Chairman Bill Frame said: “We are talking to a range of businesses and the authorities about what it feels like in the town at night.
“We are also going to be engaging with young people 18-24 who we hope will give us their perspective on the night time economy.
“Its important we don’t have a knee-jerk reaction to recent events and TV programmes but consider the range of options open to us to try and make the late night economy pleasant and safe.”
The committee will meet in February and March before it reports back to full council.