A CINEMA that recently returned to an Anglesey town after a 40 year absence has been given a funding boost - thanks to cash confiscated from crooks.

The popular family film shows set-up by Grwp Cymunedol #caruamlwch are aiming for even bigger audiences with the help of a £2,500 grant distributed by North Wales Police.

Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones recently handed a cheque over to the #caruamlwch at the Your Community, Your Choice initiative's presentation night.

Much of the money handed out since the project began in 1998 has been recovered through the Proceeds of Crime Act, using cash seized from offenders.

The scheme is aimed at organisations that run projects to tackle anti-social behaviour in line with the priorities in Commissioner’s Police and Crime Plan.

Screenings at the Memorial Hall in Amlwch have attracted over 1,000 film fans since the event re-started last autumn.

Police say that the pop-up movie sessions have proved to be a big boredom buster for youngsters in the area and stated that they had seen a decline in youth-related anti-social behaviour too.

Llinos Wyn Williams, chair of Grwp Cymunedol, said: “We’ve had some really good audience figures. We welcomed 190 to a showing just before last Christmas.

“We’ll be using this grant to buy a digital content distributor system through FilmBank at a cost of £1,200 so we can show new films support families who can't afford to go to cinemas in Llandudno and Holyhead.

Anglesey Sports Development also received a grant of £2,500 for their Friday Fitness Scheme which aims to involve young people in weekly sports sessions in Menai Bridge and Amlwch.

North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones, said: "Delivering Safer Neighbourhoods is one of my key priorities in my Police and Crime Plan.

"I am delighted that our organisations have developed projects that support this Plan.”