CINEMA fans are celebrating the news that Hollywood blockbusters are on the way to rural Dorset after the Cinemobile project finally got the break it needed.

It means the lorry housing a state-of-the-art cinema will be launched by autumn 2002 at the latest, and possibly as early as next summer.

Members of Dorset County Council's cabinet committee formally agreed to hand over the project to the Purbeck Film Festival organisers to take forward.

The move was supported by the Arts Council, which offered to provide the remaining £75,000 needed to secure the project if festival organisers took it on.

Earlier this year the future of the project had been thrown into question after the Conservatives withdrew from the scheme £75,000 of council funding previously pledged by the Liberal Democrats, jeopardising a £398,000 lottery grant.

Yesterday at the cabinet meeting, Tory members said they had been "vindicated".

Cllr Tim Palmer said: "When we took the decision we of course came under all sorts of criticism from our Liberal Democrat colleagues who accused us of cultural vandalism, but nothing could have been further from the truth.

"It was inappropriate to spend tax-payers' money and this shows that the project can be achieved through more suitable means. I am delighted."

Cllr John Havelock added: "We got some flack when we went against the project but our views have been vindicated."

The Cinemobile has received enthusiastic backing from dozens of towns and villages across Dorset which would otherwise have no access to cinema facilities.

Cinema consultant Phil Walkley, who has been in charge of the project, said he was delighted.

"We are absolutely delighted and hope we can build bridges with the council.

"The next steps are to enhance the film festival committee so it becomes representative of the whole of Dorset, prepare the ground and our ability to run the project properly, look at getting a bit more money to secure the infrastructure and complete the designs for the vehicle, which will be built in France.

"This is very exciting. It will be high-quality cinema with digital sound, full disabled access and a hearing loop so it's accessible to all."