TOURISM chiefs in Bournemouth are today pondering the future of the town's long-awaited IMAX cinema.

As reported yesterday, developer the Sheridan Group has had the project taken away from it after 18 months of delay.

NILGOS, the pension fund in charge of the waterfront complex, will now be seeking another operator to open the giant-screen attraction as soon as possible.

Sheridan has not commented, other than to say it is considering its position and taking legal advice.

Two tourist seasons have passed since the attraction was scheduled to open.

Mark Haslingden, president of Bournemouth Hotels and Restaurant Association, said: "The hoteliers have always requested a wet-weather facility for the summer months and the winter months. We're very disappointed that the project hasn't been finished, along with everybody else, I suspect, in Bournemouth.

"The signage is up there. People have been coming to Bourne-mouth for the last two years expecting it to be open."

Cllr Brian Tokely, vice-chairman of the borough's leisure and tourism committee, said the chances of having the cinema finished quickly would depend on the state of the market.

"It's certainly ready to open apart from the screen and the projection unit," he said.

"If there was an operator out there, I understand there's a projector readily available. Someone might see it as an opportunity to get in fairly quickly now that someone else has had the drudgery and the problem of setting it up."

Sheridan had originally told Bournemouth it would have Britain's first purpose-built IMAX.

But the BFI London IMAX took that honour in May 1999 and others have since opened in Bristol and Glasgow.

Britain has also lost an IMAX, at London's Trocadero centre. Operator Chorion sold its lease back to the freeholder last year, taking a reported £14 million loss on the deal but removing an annual shortfall of £3.8million. There has been speculation the cinema could re-open.

Alison Roden is head of IMAX development at London's Science Museum, which runs an IMAX at the museum and the one at Waterloo.

She said attendance at both cinemas was good and the future for the giant format IMAX system was exciting, with 23 films set to be released in the format this year.

Disney released its Fantasia 2000 in the IMAX format last year ahead of its release to conventional cinemas. "The film did much better on its IMAX release than subsequently when it was released in 35mm," she said.

She said there was no reason a Bournemouth IMAX should not be successful. "Bristol is doing very good businesses. Bradford has had an IMAX since 1983 and continues to do very well.

"In a location outside the capital, you've not got the same type of competition," she added.

"I would have thought you would have something that would attract the summer holiday visitor population but would also be a great resource for the residents of Bournemouth."