'Like a ghost town: Watch eerie drive around Edinburgh on first night of Covid-19 pub closures

The haunting video shows the empty streets of Edinburgh on the first weekend of pub closures across UK.

This video captures the deserted streets of Edinburgh on the first night since Boris Johnson ordered all pubs and bars closed in a bid to contain coronavirus.

The UK government announced pubs, restaurants, cinemas and other leisure facilities must shut their doors on Friday (20 March).

One Edinburgh resident took a drive through the Capital’s city centre on Saturday night to see if the UK government’s advice on bar closures was being followed.

Credit: Paul Sabbir

Paul Shabbir, from Portobello, drove across the Old and New Town, through areas usually bustling with revelers enjoying the weekend, but found the city to be like a “ghost town”.

The 41-year-old told the Edinburgh Evening News: “I wanted to see what the impact would be following the government saying the pubs must be closed and if people were heeding the advice.

“They were, I didn’t see even two people walking together on the streets. It was really eerie.”The clip shows the occasional taxi, the odd private hire car, a few people walking alone and one or two cyclists.

Paul wanted to highlight to other residents a sight which many will be unlikely to see as more and more people choose to self-isolate. He said it was encouraging that clearly the measures were being followed and the roads were empty.He continued: “This could be what a full lockdown looks like and I want people to know it’s nothing to worry about.

The lifelong Edinburgh local said the measures were “worth it” if they keep the public safe and help prevent the spread of Covid-19.