ACCRINGTON'S beleaguered Premiere Cinema is to re-open less than a month after closing.

Globe Enterprises director Stuart Nevison has revealed that the company has bought the four-screen cinema and its contents for an undisclosed amount after negotiations with liquidators.

The Accrington businessman also said they were planning to re-open their doors next Friday .

He blamed the cinema's closure on a national fall in attendance figures, which the cinema's operators, GSX Leisure , did not take account of.

According to the Film Distributors' Association, UK box office takings for the period January to June 2003 totalled £188.3million, which was 10 per cent down compared to the first half of 2002.

He also said that no public money from Globe Enterprises was used in the £3.5m Viaduct development on Hyndburn Road.

Premiere Cinema closed two weeks ago after GSX Leisure put the business into voluntary liquidation saying they could not afford the £150,000-a-year rent.

The company had debts of nearly £100,000, having bought Premiere Cinema's interest in the town venture before it opened last November as part of the £3.5million Viaduct development. Hyndburn MP Greg Pope called for an investigation into how GSX had been forced to close the cinema, and urged the council to take action to reopen it.

Mr Nevison said: "The Viaduct development was only made possible through private funding. No public money was used. The Borough Council were not required to provide any funding or guarantees."