UK box office takings have exceeded £1billion for the first time.

Hit films such as The King's Speech and The Inbetweeners have contributed to the success of home grown movies.

New figures from the British Film Institute have shown cinema receipts have risen by 61 per cent in the past decade.

The BFI's research shows that spending on film production in the UK has also reached a new high, topping £1.27 billion in 2011.

The total box office takings last year was £1.04 billion, and has marked a massive increase on the £645 million spent on cinema-going in 2001.

The top three highest grossing films at UK cinemas were all home grown.

The final instalment of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows topped the list by taking £73 million and more than £1.3 billion worldwide.

Oscar-winner The King's Speech was second while The Inbetweeners Movie took third place.