Four members of staff from the former St Austell FilmCentre returned to the town for a sneak preview of the new White River Cinema on Monday.

Projectionists Justin Eplett and Matthew Philp, duty manager William Burt and box office supervisor Richard Ridge were invited back to see the £3.5 million state-of-the-art building on Trinity Street.

When the St Austell FilmCentre closed its doors for the final time in August 2007, the four team members were redeployed to work at the company's other cinemas in Truro and Wadebridge.

But they'll return to St Austell next month when the new cinema opens.

Richard Ridge, 22 from St Austell said: "I'm really excited about the opening of the new cinema, I drive past the site every day on my way to my temporary job at the Plaza in Truro so I've seen the progress being made and couldn't wait to have a look inside.

"Loads of my friends have been travelling from St Austell to Truro to go to the cinema and they keep asking me when it'll open, so I'm pleased that I can finally give them an answer."

Projectionist Matthew Philp also has fond memories of the old cinema.

"I think that the old cinema will always be special to me because it's where I met my fiancé Amy seven years ago when she worked there as an usherette, so I guess you could say that love blossomed in the cinema aisles," he said.

White River Cinema in St Austell is the first new purpose-built complex to be built for more than 70 years in Cornwall and will seat more than 650 people.

General manager Mark Williams said: "It is really great to welcome these familiar faces back to St Austell and for them to see the new surroundings of where they will eventually be working.

"We are delighted they will be returning to the town when the building is completed."

WTW Cinemas has recruited more than 20 new full and part-time employees to start work at White River Cinema and has been inundated with applications.

Mark continued: "We have been overwhelmed by the level of interest in the new cinema and have received hundreds of applications.

"There is a real buzz about White River Cinema opening locally and we are delighted with the support we're getting."

A three year development plan has been put into place by WTW Cinemas which includes the completion of the new facility in St Austell, achieving planning consent for a new four screen cinema in Newquay and the refit of the existing Plaza cinema in Truro.