A town that was once packed with celebrities is now described by locals as "dead". The area was hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic and a number of local shops have been left vacant.

Brentwood, which is close to London and the M25, once homed the likes of Mark Wright, Stacey Solomon and Sam Faiers. It also attracted flocks of tourists due to the fame brought by The Only Way is Essex (TOWIE). However, it is now a ghost town due to a drop in footfall and rising costs.

As reported by The Sun, Emma Louise-Brookes runs The Dressing Room Brentwood. She said independent shops are struggling in the area due to a lack of visitors.

Emma said: "Footfall has dropped dramatically, no one is coming to Brentwood, and small independent shops like mine are really struggling."

Local resident Simon Cross added: "Brentwood is still a pleasant place to live, but it's missing the vibrancy it once had. Tourists used to flock here, and the High Street was thriving! But now, that buzz is gone."

Media personality Gemma Collins previously owned a boutique in Brentwood. However, it went bust and she was forced to shut it down.

According to Sanguta Patel, who owns Newstime newsagents, the town became a ghost town when Towie fans stopped visiting. Resident Gene Gravell agreed that Brentwood has lost much of its commercial diversity.

However, some residents on a public Facebook group said there is still a sense of community in Brentwood. The town remains peaceful, diverse and friendly.

Angel Fofana said: "The diversity and friendliness of the people make this a wonderful place to live. I love the culture here, and the peaceful atmosphere makes it a great place to raise children."

Kate Goddard agreed: "We could use more shops, but overall, it's a nice, safe area, and everyone here is very friendly."

Businesses in Brentwood, Shenfield and Ingatestone voted to create a unique Business Improvement District (BID) in June 2023. It secured £2 million to spend on improving high streets across five years.

The move was supported by Brentwood Borough council who introduced free parking in the town every Sunday. They also introduced discounted parking all week in the local multi-storey car park.