HUNDREDS, probably thousands, of local people took to open spaces, high sports and gardens this evening to capture images of the solar eclipse.

Colanders, cereal boxes and pieces of paper were deployed to offer them a glimpse of the partial eclipse safely, while others had managed to get hold of the short-in-supply eclipse sunglasses – probably the best way of seeing the partial eclipse which saw around 90 per cent of the sun covered as the moon drifted across its face from around 6pm.

A colander was a simple and safe way to watch the passing of the eclipse.

Other had more specialist equipment including special camera filters which cut out the bright glare and allowed a crisp view of the action.

Danny Parmenter tracked the course of solar eclipse.

Among them was local photographer and drone flyer Danny Parmenter of Essex Skyshots who produced a series of images from the banks of the Thames near Tilbury.

And later in the evening, as the skies became crystal clear in the darkness of night, residents enjoyed a spectacular Perseid meteor shower.