A BUSINESSMAN with an interest in film editing has found himself at the helm of one of the region's quirkiest cinemas.

Steve Riddle saved the Arc cinema, in Stockton, from closure after offering to run it as his own.

He said directors of the arts and education centre felt they could no longer justify keeping the compact cinema in Dovecot Street open earlier this year, but he saw the potential.

Now, he said the film house is doing a roaring trade - attracting regular viewers from as far away as Redcar and Darlington.

And, with at least two film viewings a day, and showings for pensioners and students, word is spreading about the friendly, relaxed cinema.

Mr Riddle, who owns a television repair business, said he first got involved with the Arc cinema in the late Nineties after taking a video-editing course.

After completing the course, he then left to run the showhouse until the arts venue ran into trouble - and £2m debt - forcing its closure in 2001.

After a short time at the Gala Theatre, in Durham, he returned to the Stockton venue in 2003 after it re-opened.

Since then, he has been paid to run the cinema and has gradually seen the weekly audience figures rise. Now, he said he can only see success ahead for the cinema, which attracts a mix of big hit films with the more obscure, and even Bollywood, movies.

"We don't do quantity, we do quality here," said Mr Riddle, who lives in Stockton.

"We are a second-run cinema, which means we get the big films about a month after they have been at the multiplex centres, but we only do the quality ones, "We have a growing niche of customers. They can bring in drinks from the licensed bar upstairs, or cups of tea and something to eat from the cafe, and they can make a nice afternoon or evening of it.

"It's very relaxed and friendly and people seem to love it. We had 39 pensioners in this afternoon for a film, which shows how popular it is becoming."

Mr Riddle said the board wanted to close the cinema to save Arc money, and so made him redundant.

But, since the end of last month, he has been running and promoting it as a franchise business, and said things were looking up.

"I can really see a future for it.

The bit that's taken getting used to is the fact that I'm no longer working for someone else."

For details visit arconline.

co.uk/cinema.php or call 01642- 525199.