PEOPLE have been flocking to see films at an independent cinema after it saw more than 11,000 extra customers last year.

The Regal in Stowmarket continues to grow as its figures revealed that more than 44,000 people watched films between 2011/12.

And the entertainment venue shows no sign of slowing down as only last month The Regal doubled its number of admissions compared with those from June 2011.

David Marsh, manager at The Regal, said: “I am very pleased. It was not long ago – about seven to eight years ago – that it struggled to get 8,000 and now we get 52,000. It’s fantastic.

“The theatre in Woodbridge gets more and it’s a smaller town, so there’s room for improvement. Since the start of the year numbers are up so next we should be breaking records.”

A total of more than 52,000 people saw films and theatre productions at The Regal, in Ipswich Street, last year.

The cinema has just one screen but both Stowmarket Town Council, who run the cinema, and Mr Marsh have said a second screen is part of the overall vision for the venue.

But it will have to wait for at least another two to three years as the current cost of a digital projector is about �60,000.

“In a good week we get 1,000 people, in the first week of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel we had over 3,000 people,” Mr Marsh said.