Mystery surrounds the future of the former Empire Cinema site in Swindon.

The multiplex suddenly shut in the middle of blockbuster season last July because the chain that managed it collapsed into administration.

The closure happened at such short notice that customers turned up for their pre-booked screenings only to find the entrance locked and the lights inside off.

Seven Empire multiplexes ceased trading but several others, including ones in Birmingham, Clydebank, High Wycombe, Ipswich and Sutton, as well as the two Tivoli sites in Bath and Cheltenham, remained open.

The Empire group’s CEO Justin Ribbons blamed a lack of income during the pandemic, low attendance levels post-Covid, rising inflation, and soaring costs for creating “profitability issues” that led to the decision to file for administration.

The Adver has since attempted to find out the fate of the Swindon site, with little success.

Administrators BDO are seeking a buyer for the cinemas that are still open but have not been appointed to oversee those, like Swindon’s, which have closed.

Real estate company M&G manages the Greenbridge Retail Park, but a spokesperson for the company offered a response of "no comment" when asked about what would happen to Swindon’s only IMAX cinema.