FAST broadband will come to Colchester town centre next year, it has been pledged.

In March, Colchester Council’s cabinet agreed to progress a deal with Cheshire-based ITS Technologies to upgrade its CCTV network to provide faster internet speeds.

The faster broadband would have allowed traders to send special offers and information to shoppers using smartphones in the town centre.

Six months on, the work has yet to materialise, leading to rumours the deal had fallen through.

But Roy Shelton, group chief commercial officer of ITS, insisted that was not the case.

He said: ”We’re working with the council to try and see it through to closure as soon as possible.