McPhee makes a bang at box office

The first Nanny McPhee film was released in 2005

Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang starring Emma Thompson has knocked Alice in Wonderland off the top spot of the UK and Ireland box office.

The sequel to the hit children's film raked in £2.58m over its debut weekend, with Alice down to second spot in its fourth weekend, with takings of £2.49m.

The Blind Side, which won Sandra Bullock a best actress award at the Oscars last month, debuted at three.

Bullock plays a mother who turns around the life of a disadvantaged teenager.

Martin Scorcese's thriller Shutter Island dropped a place to fourth.

UK AND IRELAND BOX OFFICE 1 Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang - £2.58m 2 Alice in Wonderland - £2.49m 3 The Blind Side - £1.3m 4 Shutter Island - £1.14m 5 The Bounty Hunter - £994,656 Source: Screen International

Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler's film The Bounty Hunter fell from two to five.

Iraq war film Green Zone, starring Matt Damon, slipped a place to six.

Also down one place was Jackie Chan's The Spy Next Door at number seven.

Jim Carrey fell four places on the chart to eighth spot with I Love You Phillip Morris.

Another new entry was Shank at nine, a film about a young gangster who tries to hide his sexuality from his peers.

Avater slipped three places to ten - its total UK box office takings since its release in December is now over £91m.