Darlington was a sombre secluded scene today as the usual hundreds of visitors that descend on the town each day stayed away whilst the Queen's funeral was underway.

In the town centre, streets were completely empty and eerie yesterday morning. People had nowhere to go, with popular brands Greggs, O2, Next, Costa and other big names all closed for the day.

Read more: Darlington streets empty as Queen's funeral nears

The roads around Darlington were also deserted, with the ring road almost completely empty at 7.45am, along with just a few pedestrians around the pavement areas of the A167.

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Across the country, churches were ringing bells for one hour from 10am St Cuthbert's Church in Darlington was one of them.

In the church grounds, a couple from Middleton St George brought biscuits to listen to the bells.

They said they have "an enormous amount of respect for the Queen, though she wasn't a personal influence on our lives".

Later in the day, some activity picked up throughout the town picked up. One Darlington pub described the mood as “sombre” as patrons gathered inside to pay their respects to the Queen.

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Customers said they had come to the pub to be with others for the occasion and there was an air of sadness as those sat to watch the ceremony.

Matthew Dunt, 34, Landlord of The Red Lion, from Darlington said: “I’m a massive royalist, she’s been a part of my life since I was born. It’s been quite sombre.

“A pub is the hub of a community. A lot of our regulars are older and live alone, and for them sitting at home, it’s a bit daunting.

Read more: Darlington pub swaps alcohol with cups of tea and shows Queen's funeral

“We’re open and showing the funeral so that anybody who was alone and wanted to come and spend time with other people, we will be there for those people."

The pub was offering non-alcoholic beverages and treats such as tea, coffee, soft drinks and scones - for a British afternoon tea theme - instead of alcoholic drinks during the funeral.

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Mr Dunt said: “There are so many people out there that are alone and a lot of our customers did ask us beforehand whether we would be open and we made the decision that, yes, we would be open.

“We’re not open to be disrespectful, we haven’t done this to make lots of money, we’ve not advertised that we’re open, we’re open for the people in our community who need us the most.”

“People need to be with other people at times like this.”

Vanessa Warford, 30, Bartender at The Red Lion, from Darlington said: “It feels eerie, it feels strange, it feels different.

Read more: Darlington woman reveals what it was like meeting Queen Elizabeth II

“It's quiet, but in terms of people, it’s busier than we normally are on a Monday morning.

“We opened for the people who don’t have anyone at home and don’t want to watch it alone.

“I think it’s lovely. You can come down and watch it and not feel alone.”

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