Worcestershire's Malvern Cinema to replace seats because of our expanding bottoms Malvern Cinema in Worcestershire is to swap seats for larger furniture All of the maroon, 17in seats have been replaced for 'modern society' The Grade II listed theatre has been open to public since 1885 One of the country's oldest cinemas has been forced to replace all its seats for the first time almost 100 years - because British bottoms keep getting bigger. Malvern Cinema in Worcestershire has removed all of its 17in-wide seats to as customers can no longer squeeze into the older model. The historic cinema, which has welcomed Elgar,George Bernard Shaw and CS Lewis in the past, has been forced to reduce its 380 capacity by 40 because of the change. Malvern Cinema in Worcestershire has removed all of its 17in maroon seats to make way for bigger customers British women's waist size are thought to have increased by an average of 7in since 1951. The cinema, which opened in 1885, said it felt the need to update their seats to compete with American-style multiplexes. 'It's a fact that our hips are getting slightly wider so we have had to act to making it a more comfortable experience for cinema-goers,' Nic Lloyd, chief executive of Malvern Theatres, said. Films are quite long anyway but we now also have satellite links with the Met and watching a four-hour opera in small, uncomfortable chairs is a lot to expect from people. The seats were just not right for modern society. 'We haven't had anyone get stuck but we know it can happen and we're aware of the changes that have been made to things like aeroplane seats. We did quite a bit of research and looked at what other cinemas had done and these new ones are the standard size in cinemas now. The cinema has been open since 1885. It is one of the few remaining in Britain which still offers visitors the choice to sit in dress circle The old fashioned chairs were suitable for customers in decades past but are not for 'modern society' All of the seats were snapped up for £30 a pair by members of the public following a social media campaign Making room: The wider seats are 21in wide and are more suited for watching longer films, an employee said Twin seats are still available at the back of the theatre for couples or people who enjoy having more space If we are to compete with the multiplex cinemas we need to offer the level of comfort people have come to expect even though it means losing 40 seats. All 40 of the maroon seats have been sold to members of the public after being advertised on social media. Mr Lloyd said: 'I ordered a skip to get rid of the old chairs but we put out a notice saying we'd sell them and they all went, in one day. 'We're now hoping to hear from people about what they plan to do with them.' The cinema will keep are keeping old fashioned twin seats for couples or people who like more space. Malvern Cinema is one of the few remaining in Britain to still offer customers a choice of sitting in the stalls or circle and people are still shown to their seats by an usherette equipped with a torch. The average woman's body shape has expanded dramatically in the last 50 years and is now heavier Aircraft have introduced larger seats for obese passengers as the general population continues to get fatter In the UK, 64 per cent of the population are classed as being overweight or obese and Public Health England has estimated that 60 per cent of men, 50 per cent of women and 25 per cent of children could be obese by 2050. In 2012 Airbus revealed it would add two-inches to aircraft seats to make room for larger passengers. Two 20-in seats would be placed on each side of the aisle instead of the standard 18in seat. Earlier this year it was revealed super-size graves were to be built in Lincolnshire, with the standard size now too small for Britain's obese. Armitage Shanks also made a steel toilet capable of holding the weight of a 70-stone person.