'Sushers' for silence in cinemas

London: Film fans are calling for the return of the usher to tackle the problem of people talking and using mobile phones in cinemas.

Focus groups organised by the UK Film Council have revealed a growing frustration at the decline in standards of behaviour.

Peter Steele, head of the council's statistical unit, said: "People don't seem to believe they should stay quiet and many regular cinemagoers thought it was now time for the return of ushers. They say, 'We need a cinema police'."

The concerns come as audiences at the British box office fell for the second year in a row to 2.6 million admissions in the face of growing competition from the internet.