THE success of hit British films - such as Mr Bean's Holiday and Hot Fuzz - helped cinema chain Cineworld swing to a profit during the first-half of the year, the company said yesterday.

The group, which made its stock market debut in April, said a strong performance by the UK film industry helped to attract growing numbers of movie buffs to its cinemas in the six months to June 28.

Blockbuster box office hits, such as the latest Pirates of the Caribbean film, Spiderman 3 and Shrek The Third, also helped admissions rise eight per cent on a year earlier, to £21.7m.

Pre-tax profits for the period rose to £5.1m from a loss of £6m a year earlier, while group revenues increased 4.1 per cent to £135.7m