CREWE'S Odeon Cinema will reopen its doors for the first time in eight months next Monday.

The cinema on the Phoenix Leisure Park will take advantage of Monday's confirmation by the PM of lockdown easing scheduled for May 17which allows indoor entertainment including museums, cinemas, theatres and concert halls to reopen.

Pubs, bars and restaurants will also be able to open indoors

The Odeon opened briefly after the first lockdown, but shut its doors again last October and has been closed since.

The national chain says it will have stringent safety measures in place and social distancing and mask-wearing will be standard.

It cites research from MetrixLab which suggests strong pent up demand for cinema in the UK,

In a survey 59 per cent of people said cinema was one of the activities they were missing the most during lockdown and 48 per cent said they would spend more money on cinema in 2021.

An Odeon spokesperson said: "We know guests are excited to return, and there is data to suggest that a huge number have missed the cinema.

"We cannot wait to immerse ourselves back in the community, providing a much-loved pastime, an

• Limiting seat numbers and guaranteeing unoccupied seats to meet social distancing
• Staggering show start times to reduce queues
• Floor markings for queueing.
• Encouraging online booking and no cash purchases
• Enhanced and frequent cleaning
• Stations offering sanitising gels and wipes
• Face coverings in cinemas

Carol Welch, MD of ODEON Cinemas Group UK, Ireland said: "I would like to say a huge thank you to all our team members for their amazing energy and commitment over the last 12 months which has allowed us to get back to what we do best – welcoming guests back to experience movies in the best possible way."