ELDERLY residents in two sheltered housing schemes have won back their monthly film afternoons after intervention by the Lancashire Telegraph.

Pensioners in Showley Court in Salesbury and Vale House in Whalley were deprived of the much-loved event over confusion over the latest interpretation of regulations governing the communal showing of DVDs of movies.

They enlisted Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans in a campaign to reinstate the sessions, who alerted the paper.

We contacted David Taylor , managing director of the Motion Picture Licensing Company Ltd, responsible for the copyright protection of films.

He confirmed there was no need for the pensioners or the operators of the two schemes at Onward Housing to buy an expensive licence to screen films provided the showings were organised by the residents with no input from staff.

Mr Taylor said: “The company would not seek to license those screenings where the residents press ‘play’ and create screenings in their own rooms or as part of casual, incidental screenings with their close family and friends.”

Mrs Janet Parker, 79, who organised the showings at at Vale House, said: “I am very pleased. The showings will start again straight away. I am very grateful to the Lancashire Telegraph for clearing this up.”

Mrs Peggy Sherbourne, 79, who ran the film afternoons at Showley Court said: “I am delighted. The afternoons will start again. This is excellent news.”

A spokeswoman from Onward Homes said: “We are seeking to further clarify the legal position with Mr Taylor.”

Mr Evans said: “I am pleased. I will call on government ministers to officially clarify the position and confirm in Parliament the exemption of resident -organised film events in sheltered housing developments from the non-theatrical film licence.”