CLACTON Pier will join more than a hundred buildings and landmarks across the country by lighting up purple to mark the upcoming census.

The event is being organised by The Office for National Statistics (ONS) to raise awareness of census day on Sunday, March 21.

The survey takes place every ten years and gives a picture of all the people and households in England and Wales.

Other iconic landmarks including the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff, BT Tower in London and Blackpool Tower are signed up for the celebration, which will see them light up in the Census 2021 brand colour from Friday.

The census helps inform the provision of public services throughout the UK, such as determining the appropriate number of school places and hospital beds that are needed to properly serve their communities.

Billy Ball, managing director of Clacton Pier, said he is delighted the landmark attraction has been chosen as one of the flagship buildings for the campaign.

“Since we introduced our lighting around the pier, we have been able to support many initiatives and bring awareness to many good causes,” he said.

“As soon as we were asked, we jumped at the chance to support Census 2021 and are proud to be a part of this important campaign.”

Every household in England and Wales will now be receiving their census letters with unique access codes enabling them to fill in their census online.

Pete Benton, the ONS's Director of Census Operations, said: “The census is such an important undertaking that helps inform the vital services we all rely on every single day within our communities.

“We wanted to shine a light on the buildings and landmarks that matter most to their local areas, highlighting the importance of the census in helping shape the communities we live in.

“We’re thrilled with all the support we have received so far and would like to thank Clacton Pier for their participation."