CINEMA lovers went potty for Harry Potter as Blackburn’s new 10-screen cinema opened in 2005.

The Vue Cinema occupied the top two floors of a £20million leisure complex next to the town’s railway station.

THe cinema opened its doors at 9am on a Friday just in time for the relase of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. The film was screend 16 times on opening day - all to packed houses and then a further 38 times over the weekend.

The cinema’s largest screen held nearly 350 people.

Stuart Shepherd, one of four duty managers at the cinema, said: “Everyone is really excited about the opening.

“It’s a fantastic building and everything is state-of-the-art.

“Everything has been designed with customers in mind.

“Each screen has stadium seating, there are boxes for wheelchair users and we will have films with subtitles and audio description too.”

A gala opening was held when VIP guests got to see an advanced screening of Flightplan starring Jodie Foster.

Films showing over the opening weekend included Harry Potter, The Libertine, Nanny McPhee, In Her Shoes, The Brothers Grimm, Elizabethtown and Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.

The ground floor of the cinema complex was home to the 24-lane Bowlplex bowling alley.