SOLD-OUT Swindon cinemas have contributed to the new Harry Potter film breaking box office records.

It has been revealed that the Prisoner of Azkaban took £5.03m on the Bank Holiday Monday, its first day.

In Swindon it was watched by 8,000 fans on Monday at the Cineworld cinema alone, as all 20 screenings were sold out.

It was also shown 11 times at the UGC cinema at Shaw Ridge.

On Monday the Prisoner of Azkaban opened in 535 cinemas across the UK. Unusually it opened on a Monday rather than a Friday, to coincide with both the Bank Holiday and the first day of half-term.

The last Potter film, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, made £2.18m on its first day of release, eventually grossing £55m at the UK box office.

The film, the third in the series of JK Rowling's books, cost £71m to make, has been acclaimed as the best yet.

Mexican director Alfonos Cuaran has been praised for capturing the darker side of the books.

Teenage angst runs through the plot as convicted murderer Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) escapes the wizards' prison and seems to be coming after Harry.

Advertiser film critic Steve Webb called the film "the most compelling and thrilling adventure in the series to date".