A HIGH noon showdown has erupted over news Kidderminster's long-awaited cinema is under threat.

MP David Lock has taken stock and is firing two smoking barrels on hearing 16 cinema operators have refused to be part of the multi-million pound KTC1 town centre development.

He has blamed the district council and developers for failing to land a cinema and claimed a proposed arts centre has hit the skids too.

However, council leader Mike Oborski vowed not to wait from here to eternity for the flicks to hit town and insists negotiations are on-going.

He also stated the council was still exploring suitable venues for an arts centre.

The latest row between the Labour MP and authority follows repeated criticism from Mr Lock over several delays to the KTC1 scheme - on which work finally started this week.

Mr Lock, who has set up a meeting with culture minister Janet Anderson to fight for a cinema, stormed: "If Tenbury Wells and Bridgnorth can have a cinema I don't see why Kidderminster cannot. This ought to be a civic development to fashion Kidderminster for decades not a shopping mall.

"The council has already let us down on CCTV for the new town centre. We have a looming car parking crisis which the traders are up in arms about.

"It would just be the last straw if the delays in this project have lost the chance of a cinema and arts centre for the town."

Kidderminster folk have dreamt of the return of the silver screen since the last picture show was screened at the ABC in 1982.

Mr Oborksi insisted none of the delays to the KTC1 scheme, which is expected to create 1,000 jobs and also house a supermarket, restaurants, bars and shops, were due to the council but were down to disputes between the developer and private companies.

He said: "This administration has got the Kidderminster town centre development underway which is something the previous Labour administration singularly failed to do.

"The message coming back from cinema operators is there is not a sufficiently large audience catchment area to interest them.

"We dispute that assertion and will continue to campaign to get a cinema operator in town.

"Mr Lock must understand the council, developers and even the great David Lock can only attract a cinema if the operators feel it is a viable proposition."

He denied the council had failed to "grasp the nettle" over funding for the arts centre and said it had not been helped by changes to the funding.

He said: "This will make it harder for us and perhaps a little help in that direction from Mr Lock, instead of the usual whinging, would help.

"I'm delighted he has got time to write letters about the cinema.

"While he's at it, he could write a few about restoring services to our hospital."