THE opening of Burnley's new multiplex cinema has quickly spelled the end for Brierfield's Unit 4.

The 25-year-old picture house will screen its last film, the thriller Con Air, at 8.20pm on Thursday July 3. Four staff, including manager Lisa Bradshaw, are transferring to the Burnley cinema and three are being made redundant.

Until this week, bosses of Apollo Leisure, the company which owns both venues, had said they would wait to see how Unit 4 fared against the new competition, Hollywood Park, which opened a month ago.

John Merryweather, Apollo's cinemas boss, explained: "We knew Unit 4 would probably have to close. The success of Hollywood Park, Burnley, has been good for us, and that's where we should be focusing. We cannot continue to trade as we have done in Brierfield.

"Rather than drag on over the long summer, it seemed right to make the decision now.

"It is a sad day when any cinema closes. In this case it's the end of one era and the beginning of another. The management and staff at Brierfield have worked extremely hard over many years."

He added: "Clearly Burnley now has a superb cinema, which by any stretch of the imagination is the best in the area, and that's where the future lies."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.