LONDON TOPS EUROPEAN CINEMA TICKET PRICES

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 17th Oct 2006

As the 50th London Film Festival gets underway tomorrow, research undertaken by Liberal Democrat Culture Spokesperson Dee Doocey, has revealed that cinema ticket prices in London cost three times the European average.

An adult ticket to see a film at the Odeon Leicester Square on a Saturday night costs up to £17.50 compared to an average cost of £4.95 in the ten major European capitals surveyed.

Commenting on the findings, Dee Doocey, said:

"London topping the European price charts is just another case of 'rip-off' Britain. Only here do you need to be earning almost as much as a Hollywood star to afford to see the latest flicks.

'Cinema used to be a popular and cheap form of entertainment, but in London it's fast becoming a luxury few can afford.

'The big screen experience has inspired hundreds of British filmmakers in the past and London is now the third largest film making centre in the world. There are a staggering 15 new British films at this year's festival. But if young people can't afford to go to the cinema, by the time it reaches its next big anniversary, the London Film Festival might not be the showcase of British talent it is today."