BUCKET of Blood... The Mummy... Fiend Without a Face... these were just some of the horror ‘diet’ being served up to Blackburn cinema-goers in 1960 – and it was worrying the Watch Committee!

Members believed there were far too many X-rated films on show around the town’s cinemas.

And committee chairman Alderman John Shorrock described the number as “a little alarming”.

In a bid to cut back X- certificate screenings, he demanded a meeting with cinema represen-tatives, along with the Chief Constable of Blackburn, Mr Bibby.

He said: “A troublesome point has been reached and we are concerned about the effects of these films on teenagers.

“We feel very strongly that the practice of previewing these films should be reviewed.

“We are ready to pass anything within reason, but the number of horror films available is becoming disturbing.”

At the time Edward Taylor, manager of the Star Cinema at Bastwell, said he had only shown five X films in six months.

He protested: “They don’t have any effect on the general public.

“I’ve shown U films that are worse.

“It only needs a bit of a sea monster coming out of the water for a film to get an X certificate and that is only for the benefit of small children who might get nightmares afterwards.”

Stanley Duckworth, manager of the Empire Theatre in Ewood, claimed he did better business when he showed X films, but said the public came out of curiosity more than anything else.

Do you remember your first X-rated film in your local cinema, and who you went to see it with?