CINEWORLD has secured a £336million debt lifeline to help it through the coronavirus pandemic.

The company – which owns Poole’s 16-screen multiplex at Tower Park – closed 633 of its UK and US cinemas last month.

The move left 45,000 workers unemployed for the foreseeable future.

Announcing the new lending facility, it said it had also secured access to another £233m in liquidity to boost its finances.

It was one of a raft of cinema chains to be affected by the pandemic, as film studios push back the release dates of major new movies, including the latest James Bond film, No Time to Die, to 2021.

Mooky Greidinger, chief executive of Cineworld, said: “Over the long term, the operational improvements we have put in place since the start of the pandemic will further enhance Cineworld’s profitability and resilience.

“The group continues to monitor developments in the relevant markets in which we operate and our entire team is focused on managing our cost base.

“We look forward to resuming our operations and welcoming movie fans around the world back to the big screen for an exciting and full slate of films in 2021.”