A BURNHAM-ON-SEA cinema has confirmed it is planning to re-open to customers next month.

The Ritz Cinema, based on Victoria Street, has been closed since December 2020 - along with all cinemas across England - as part of the Covid-19 lockdown.

However, the government's roadmap for easing restrictions allows for indoor entertainment - such as cinemas, museums and theatres - to re-open from Monday, May 17.

Ahead of the re-opening, The Ritz has installed a new, state-of-the-art laser projector at a cost of £30,000, in order to show films in the highest quality.

This comes after the cinema was awarded £47,142 from the British Film Institute's culture recovery fund and safety grant fund back in January.

That money was part of £16 million in grant funding made available to 200 independent cinemas in England, enabling them to stay in business amid the lockdowns.

As well as offering sharper picture quality with its new projector, The Ritz will have several Covid-19 safety measures in place to keep staff and customers safe.

Those will include social distancing, hand sanitisers and regular cleaning.

As for which films will be shown at its re-opening, the line-up is set to be confirmed in the next couple of weeks.

According to the Film Distributors' Association, May releases in the UK include Academy Award nominees Nomadland and Sound of Metal, the latest Disney film Cruella, and animated sequel Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway.