FOR decades film buffs and courting couples queued through its doors to see the latest blockbuster.

More recently it has become a run-down eye-sore on the steps of which winos congregated to share stories and strong cider.

But this week, 95 years after it was first opened to huge excitement, the death knell finally sounded for Withington’s Cine City.

Scaffolding has been put up outside Cine City in Withington, in preparation for its demolition.

The Wilmslow Road building, which is considered one of the most iconic buildings in Manchester, was home to only the third cinema to open in Britain.

It has been empty for nearly seven years, and is now being cleared to make way for a new apartment building with ground floor shop.

Residents and film fans say they are sad to see the building go.

Eddy Rhead, an architectural historian and photography tutor who lives on Cotton Lane, Withington said: "It’s sad to see it go as it was an important cultural and social icon for Withington.

"As a building, it wasn’t especially architecturally interesting and it was quite dilapidated. But it was very old and historically important as being one of the longest running cinemas in Britain."

Roger Smith, chairman of Withington Civic Society, said: "It’s a shame it’s going as it was one of the oldest operating cinemas in Britain and a feature of Withington.

"It wasn’t actually condemned by the dangerous buildings inspector, but it is falling down so it might be better to have something new in the area.

"We had spoken to the owner, Mr Jamil, in the past and he did agree to create a community space for arts events and crafts workshops, but unfortunately it wasn’t financially viable."

The cinema was opened in 1912 as The Scala. It later became Cine City and continued to show films until July 2001.

A year later, comedy actor John Thomson, star of hit TV programmes such as The Fast Show and New Street Law, launched a campaign to fend off pub giant Wetherspoons, which had applied to the council to turn it into a pub.

At the time, he said: "It is the third oldest cinema in Britain and I would just die if it went. My mum and dad courted there and saw The Gradate when it first came out."

The building was bought in 2003 by the Britannia Property Group.

They received outline planning permission in 2005 to develop the site for retail and residential use, but were told to revise proposals for an ornate leaning-tower on one corner.

The plans will be consider by planning chiefs next month.

Mohammad Jamil, chief executive of the group, said: "The building was already too far gone when we bought it and physically not safe, so it has to be demolished."