A NORTH Yorkshire cinema boss has hit out at councillors for voicing concerns about his plans to sell alcohol at the pictures.

Jeremy Powell, who reopened the Palace Cinema in July last year, has applied for a licence to sell alcohol at the Malton cinema.

But members of Malton Town Council raised concerns that young people could obtain alcohol and sneak it into the darkness of the auditorium.

Coun David Lloyd-Williams said he was concerned about the training which would be given to staff.

"We don't want people selling ice cream or punching cinema tickets and then having to go behind the bar," he said.

"My concern is the possible lack of experience such people may have in serving drink and the risk of young people smuggling bottles of liquor into the cinema itself."

The Mayor, Coun Ann Hopkinson, said that while she thought drink should not be allowed in the cinema itself, she was anxious to see the Palace survive.

But Coun Jane Wilford said the cinema would be subject to the same liquor licensing rules as any other establishment, and she would be happy as long as training was given.

The council agreed to tell magistrates of their concerns about staff training if the licence was granted.

Mr Powell said the councillors' concerns came as a surprise to him and his team.

"There's been no attempt to find out from us what our experience is," he said today.

Assistant Gareth Driver added: "I have worked behind a bar for five years and in bars for seven, and I did sales and management at the last place I worked at. For 15 months I worked in a pub in Malton, so I know who the faces are here."

Drinks at the cinema would only be sold to customers purchasing a ticket valid for that day's film, said Mr Powell.

Young people would be required to provide proof of age before they could buy a drink.

"We are finding that we are attracting a mature audience, and we want to try and see how it goes," he added.

Updated: 12:05 Monday, March 31, 2003