Film lovers can now lie back and watch movies in comfort following the completion of a major cinema refurbishment.

All 10 screens at the Vue Islington Cinema, in the Angel Central Shopping centre, have been kitted out with fully reclining Italian leather seats, the first in central London for the chain.

Incredibly spacious, with plenty of leg room, the 788 seats each come with a fold-away tray and cup holder for refreshments.

Chanel Williams, a blogger from Marylebone who was at the launch, said: "Loved the recliner, comfy. I felt like a queen!"

The revamp, the first since Vue came to the area 22 years ago, also includes improvements to the foyer, concourse and toilet areas, along with new digital displays that showcase the latest blockbusters and promotions.

Vue International founder and chief executive Tim Richards attended the relaunch on Monday night (February 19) with UK and Ireland general manager Toby Bradon.

Islington Gazette: Tim Richards, founder and CEO of Vue International at the launch of the revamped Islington cinemaTim Richards, founder and CEO of Vue International at the launch of the revamped Islington cinema (Image: Vue)

The gathering of cinema enthusiasts was treated to exclusive preview screenings of Wicked Little Letters and National Theatre Live’s Vanya.

"This is our first full recliner for us in London so it's a really exciting opportunity," said Toby.

"It's a really nice leather seat, you can recline, you can raise up your feet, you can lie back; it's wider than a standard seat, it's a really good experience.

Islington Gazette: Each leather seat reclines with the push of a button at Vue Cinema London - AngelEach leather seat reclines with the push of a button at Vue Cinema London - Angel (Image: Vue International)

"This is part of a whole refurbishment plan we've got for the UK, a third of our estate will be reclined by the end of the year."

Vue was founded by Mr Richards in 2002 and now has 92 cinemas in the UK and a further 224 in eight European countries including Lithuania and Poland.

He said the firm's focus was to continue rolling out the luxurious new seats across all its cinemas.

Asked why people would go to the cinema when they can now stream at home on large televisions, he said: "People have incredible kitchens and massive fridges and gas ovens and they still go out to dinner.

Islington Gazette: The revamped foyer at Vue Cinema London -AngelThe revamped foyer at Vue Cinema London -Angel (Image: Vue International)

"We are social beings. We don't look at anything that happens at home as being competition. We are 'out of home' entertainment and we want to make sure when our customers come out, they have an incredible evening with us."

Prices for each seat start at £9.99 when bought online, with higher rates for more popular spots.