Cinema giant Cineworld is pulling the curtain down on shows as a precaution against the Coronavirus.

The firm operates cinemas in Huntingdon, St Neots and Ely, as well as Cambridge and Bedford, which go dark on Wednesday, along with other Cineworld outlets across the UK.

Cineworld said: “We are closing all cinemas across the UK and Ireland until futher notice in light of the current Coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak and recent government advice.”

It said: “We are committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for all of our employees and guests. We deeply value our movie-loving customers and their health and wellbeing is our number one priority during this difficult time. We look forward to welcoming you back as soon as possible to enjoy a full slate of film releases.

“We will be monitoring the situation as it evolves, closely following government and health authority guidelines and will update on any further developments as and when we have them. As always, the health and wellbeing of our customers and staff is our number one priority. We are incredibly grateful for your support and continued passion for cinema.”

Cineworld said it was not aware of any confirmed cases of the virus at its cinemas but was closing them as a precautionary measure to protect customers and staff.

The firm has also issued advice on refunds to customers who bought tickets in advance. It said those who bought tickets online would be refunded automatically and those who bought them at a cinema needed to contact its call centre on 033 0333 4444. People who bought gift cards also needed to call the same number.