Alan Partridge movie gets Norwich premiere after campaign

Fans of Alan Partridge had campaigned for a Norwich premiere for his forthcoming film, Alpha Papa

Filming for Alpha Papa took place in Norwich, Cromer and around the Norfolk coast in February

The film reveals a "hilarious chain of events" which see Alan having to defuse a potentially violent siege

Campaigners to bring the Alpha Papa premier to Norwich said they were "delighted" at the news

Fans of comedy character Alan Partridge have won their campaign to get his forthcoming film premiered in Norwich.

The movie will receive its first public screening on 24 July at the Hollywood Cinema in Anglia Square, Norwich - the fictional broadcaster's home city.

Later that evening the film, Alpha Papa, will be screened in Leicester Square, London.

Fans had campaigned for the Norwich premiere using the slogan "Anglia Square, not Leicester Square".

'Big city fame'

The film's producers Studio Canal released a "message from Alan" on Twitter announcing the move.

In a statement, Partridge, played by Steve Coogan, said: "You can imagine how hurt and litigious I felt when people said I was planning to debut my movie in London instead of Norwich, or that I'd allowed my head to be turned by the prospect of big city fame.

"Any suggestions I've hastily cobbled together the lunchtime Norwich screening in response to a local Twitter campaign will be met with the full force of the law."

Vote Anglia Square campaign posters were placed throughout Norwich

Rob Wilkes, who started the campaign with his friend Rafiq Turnbull, said: "It's fantastic news. We're blown away.

"The people of Norwich need to embrace that. The streets need to be lined, more so than for the Lord Mayor's celebrations at the weekend.

"We need to bring out the red bus, perhaps, and give him a ride from City Hall down to Anglia Square."

Trevor Wicks, owner of Hollywood Cinema in Anglia Square which will host the premiere, said: "It's definitely the biggest event at the Hollywood and probably the biggest event there's ever been in the city for many years.

"We hope Steve Coogan and the other stars of the film will be there. We're just waiting for the finer details."

Parts of the film, which goes on general release next month, were shot on location in Norfolk.