Everyman Cinema, an independent network of boutique cinemas, plans to buy Esher Odeon as part of expansion plans.

Their cinema in nearby Walton serves pizza and beer while you watch the film sitting on a comfortable sofa.

The independent cinema will pay £7.1m for four Odeon cinema sites in Esher, Gerrards Cross, Muswell Hill and Barnet.

Everyman Media group raised £20m from a share placing to fund these purchases.

The group will invest £6.1m to refurbish the properties and will add 14 screens to the current 21 they own.

In Esher, Odeon Theatre has been operating since 2000 on a site that opened in 1937 as Embassy Cinema.

Some people feared ticket prices would be twice that of Odeon and Everyman might not be able to retain the community feel of the cinema, while others were happy to welcome the independent cinema.

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