Filming for a pornographic movie has taken place in a former restaurant at Colchester Town Hall.

It is understood noises prompted a member of Town Hall security to stumble across the risque filming in one of the disused areas which housed The Cells – a prison-themed restaurant.

Colchester Council rents the area to the restaurant’s owners Bob Bettis and his daughter and her husband Stephanie and Gabriel Pacheco. It was closed in 2017.

Mrs Pacheco, who now lives in Portugal, said the situation was “embarrassing for everyone”, especially her 67-year-old father who, she said, had innocently allowed the filmmakers access to the restaurant - without knowing the nature of the filming.

She said: “All I can tell you is the man who is meant to be keen to take over The Cells as a restaurant asked my father, could he use it for filming. We had no idea it was for an adult movie.”

Stephanie Pacheco

She added: “He said he just wanted it for filming for the day.

“My dad sent over one of his employees to open it. He went to Bill’s restaurant, had breakfast and the next thing he knows he is being contacted by my dad and the council. This is embarrassing for everyone.

“My dad is a 67-year-old man, this is not something we knew was going to happen in the restaurant and it’s disgusting to think this happened there.”

“It is not something we would consider to be appropriate.”

“He [my dad] knew and trusted the man,” she said.

A source told the Gazette: “Noises were heard by Town Hall security who investigated.”

It is understood an actress was caught filming a scene over a gas cooker.

The Cells opened in 2015 after the owners splashed out £100,000 on its launch.

It followed the opening of Memoirs restaurant and cocktail bar, in the same building, which also later closed.

A picture inside the former Cells restaurant

The Cells opened in six former holding cells from the old magistrates’ court.

Each one had a separate theme including a medieval cell, graffiti cell, haunted cell, mortuary cell, Victorian Cell and padded cell.

Staff wore orange boiler suits and the manager dressed as a prison warden.

The menu also reflected the theme with dishes, or “rations” including “he battered a fish” and chips and “chilli convict carne”.

A council spokesman said: “We were shocked to discover what was taking place in the property, and as soon as we became aware took immediate legal action to stop it as quickly as possible.

“The property is leased by us to a tenant who appeared to have allowed a third party to use it.

“Not only is sub-letting the premises against the lease agreement, the activity for which it was used is obviously something we definitely would not condone and we have, therefore, taken steps to ensure it doesn’t happen again.”