Spider-Man and Star Wars have helped UK cinema to its best June since 1972, it is reported.

The bumper month for admissions came despite the debilitating effect of the World Cup, which was blamed for Spider-Man's failure to break box office records.

Such a strong performance over the first half of 2002 puts cinema in a great position

Christine Costello CAA

More than 12.2m tickets were sold in June, an increase of 30% on the same period last year, according to Cinema Advertising Association figures quoted in the Guardian newspaper.

Spider-Man's huge opening weekend of �5.9m, boosted by previews, was achieved in the face of competition from the Far East football tournament.

By the beginning of July it had taken �21m, with its closest rival Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones taking �11.4m in June.

The CAA said these successes underpinned a continuing revival in cinema with more visiting screens now than any year since 1972.

Their figures showed a "phenomenal" growth in admissions for the first half of the year, with numbers rising to 87.7m, an increase of 25% from the same period last year.

CAA vice-president Christine Costello said: "Such a strong performance over the first half of 2002 puts cinema in a great position to achieve another record-breaking year.

Star Wars performed solidly

"We now look forward to a successful July-December."

The cinema industry has enjoyed a renaissance since its nadir in the 1980s, when admissions sank to 54m for 1984.

Then the advent of the affordable home video and the screening of more movies on television was blamed for closures and economic difficulties.

But the development of easily accessible out-of-town multiplexes, as well as better marketing of city centre cinemas have led to a consistent revival.

Industry analysts hope that 2002 will prove a record-breaker, with a target of 174 million admissions including the busy Christmas period.