UNIVERSITY students are putting the finishing touches to a festival which mixes science with a pint.

Pint of Science hosts events across the country aimed at getting people talking about the world around them.

In May, a host of leading scientists will be heading to Colchester pubs to talk about a range of topics.

The Colchester event has been organised by postgraduate students at Essex University.

Talks covering everything from the make-up of our blood through to migration will take place next month.

The Queen Street Brewhouse, Three Wise Monkeys, V-Bar and Coda will all play host to events.

All the talks take place between May 20 and 22.

Shellie Wall, one of the Colchester Pint of Science team, said: “It was nerve-wracking, and a hard slog to run Pint of Science, but it’s a great initiative from our perspective and one that we were proud to run.

"We wanted to bring the public into scientific debates, and this festival is a great place for anyone to get wide exposure to current thinking and ideas.”

Fellow team member Alex Bowles added: “Organising Pint of Science has been a really rewarding experience.

"I’m excited to see the hard work of all the volunteers come together to showcase the diverse research of the university.”

Founded seven years ago by two UK researchers, the festival brings a unique line up of talks, demonstrations and live experiments to the nation’s pubs.

National festival director Dr Callam Davidson said: “As the festival enters its seventh year, we're absolutely thrilled to have Pint of Science reaching more people than ever before.

"This year's festival will feature some fantastically creative events cooked up by our endlessly ambitious volunteers, showcasing some of the nation's most brilliant researchers in their local pubs and cafes.”

For full details of the talks and other information, visit pintofscience.co.uk/events/colchester.