FAMILIES who can not afford to go abroad this summer can spend their Euros in a Colchester cafe instead.

Minstrels Cafe in Osborne Street has started accepting the currency, and one euro will be worth £1.

With the exchange rate close to an all-time low, the cafe’s owners believe people may not be able to afford to visit Europe and could have notes and coins to spare.

Neal Hargreaves, who re-opened the cafe last year, said he successfully accepted the currency when running the former Act One Bar in Colchester and believed its strength against the pound would make the new offer work.

He said: “A lot of people aren’t going to Europe on holiday this year, so those euros may as well go towards purchasing something here.

“We intend to accept them as if they were sterling.”

“Hopefully it will add a bit of money into the economy.”

The cafe’s move coincides with the launch of its newly- refurbished Mediterranean courtyard.

Some companies, including Miller’s Stationery, Hawaii Five-O Taxis and butcher Allen and Sons, all in St Botolph’s Street, have also recently started accepting the euro.