'It was just the busiest day we have ever had': Around 300 people attend Phil Daniels meet-and-greet at Eastbourne shop

The event took place at Arcade in South Street on Friday, August 25, as customers and fans got pictures and autographs from the actor who is well-known for his role as Jimmy Cooper in the 1979 film Quadrophenia.

Shop owner Lee Sharp said on social media: “When Phil walked round the corner and saw the huge crowds it made him emotional.”

Mr Sharp, who has run Arcade since 2007, jokingly compared Mr Daniels to the Pope.

He added: “He is a regular customer anyway, but this time he came down in more of a meet-and-greet capacity and we didn’t know quite what the reaction would be and in fact we had 300 people and 60 scooters outside and it was just the busiest day we have ever had. Hopefully there will be more to come.

“It was the Brighton Mod weekend so a lot of guys came over from there and we had people from further afield, people from the Birmingham area and Kent and Portsmouth. A lot of people came from quite a long way away to come to us.”

Mr Sharp explained that the actor visits Eastbourne roughly every two months as he enjoys the shop, the town and its pubs, including The Dolphin and Bibendum.

He said: "There’s possibly not another shop in the land that has a following as loyal and as dedicated as this one.”

Mr Sharp added: “I’ve done this job since I was a 16-year-old-kid...that was my finest moment.”

The shop owner explained that he is hoping to make this an annual event and may look at hosting a street party next year.

Mr Sharp said: “Maybe next year we can really go for it and get a road closure and get a band down or something like that.”

Following the event the owner took to social media to reflect on his time with the shop.

He said: “In the 16-and-a-half years of Arcade there’s been a lot of highs, but plenty of lows too.”