Eddie Izzard joins fight to save Bexhill cinema

The building is owned by children's charity the Ormiston Trust

Comedian and actor Eddie Izzard has joined a campaign to save a historic cinema in East Sussex from demolition.

He is the first patron of a group fighting plans to build flats and a shop on the site of the Redstack Playhouse in Bexhill.

The Friends of Bexhill Cinema want to restore the town's last picture house back to a working three-screen cinema.

The building, which opened in 1921 as the Curzon Picture Playhouse, has been empty since closing in March 2008.

The group says the building is an "irreplaceable asset" for the community.

Chairman Andrew Crotty said: "It's got good memories for me, it's a lovely asset to have in the heart of Bexhill.

"I feel there's something missing in the town, and to re-open this building as a community playhouse would benefit the whole community and traders."

Developers' plans were rejected by Rother District Council in November and on appeal in June, but a further appeal has since been lodged with the planning inspectorate.

The building is owned by children's charity the Ormiston Trust, but nobody from the company was available for comment.