CANFORD Park Arena is embracing a small slice of Americana this week - by hosting a US style drive-in cinema.

The first films were screened yesterday, but the arena will be playing a selection of movies daily up until Sunday.

Themed nights include singalongs, comedy, action, Disney and, of course, Halloween.

Horror films on the bill for the weekend include Nightmare on Elm Street, The Exorcist and Psycho.

Organiser Emma Preston, from Ten Events, explained: “This is the first time we’ve done this at Canford Park Arena but we had a drive-in at the Route 66 motor show, which had a real American feel to it. We decided to expand that into an event on its own.

“The October half term at Canford Park Arena will become an annual event, and we are looking at potentially having a Christmas drive-in movie and a summer drive-in movie here as well.”

Customers pay per vehicle and are given a radio frequency for their car stereos, which provides the movie soundtrack.

Emma, who organises the drive-in with Craig Robinson, said: “It is a fantastic experience because you’re locked away and snuggled up in your car - if you want to eat your popcorn loudly or have a chat with your missus you can, whereas in the cinema this is a bit more tricky. It is a real experience we are offering.”

Yesterday, Frozen, Finding Nemo, The Lion King, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Mean Girls and 1980s classic Top Gun were on the schedule.

Today, movie buffs have the chance to watch The Jungle Book, ET, Charlie & The Chocolate Factory, Grease, Pretty Woman, and Jaws. Then, after three more days of movie classics, Sunday’s horror themed evening ends with a screening of the Hitchcock masterpiece Psycho - with moviegoers to arrive for curtain up at midnight.

Emma said: “Saturday night’s screening of Dirty Dancing is already a sell out.”