South Bristol to lose its last remaining cinema

Like many cinemas, Cineworld was hit hard by the pandemic

The last remaining cinema in the south of a city is set to close.

Cineworld has announced plans to close its only Bristol cinema, at Hengrove Leisure Park, on 26 November.

In an email to members, a spokesperson said: "After years of providing movie-lovers in Bristol with a place to feel more, we have made the difficult decision to close Cineworld Bristol."

The chain's closest neighbouring cinemas will now be in Yate or Weston-super-Mare.

"We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for choosing Cineworld Bristol over the years," added the e-mail from the cinema.

The cinema will close in November

In June, Cineworld, which also which owns the Picturehouse chain in the UK, fell into administration, but said its screens would remain open.

Cinema chains have been struggling following the Covid-19 pandemic, which saw auditoriums empty for months at a time.

In July, Empire Cinemas went into administration, with the loss of hundreds of jobs.

The same month a buyer was found for the Odeon in Weston-super-Mare, after the owners said it was "no longer viable" to continue operating.

There are eight cinemas in parts of Bristol north of the River Avon.