Campaigners battling to restore Worthing's historic Dome cinema have been given extra time by Lotto bosses to raise £300,000.

Trustees of the Dome on Worthing seafront had planned to stockpile the cash by the end of the year to unlock a £1.5 million regeneration grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

But with weeks to go until the deadline there was only £75,000 in the bank.

The Worthing Dome and Regeneration Trust asked the Fund for an extension and it now has until the end of 2004 to raise the outstanding £225,000.

Belle Stennett, chairman of the Trust, said Lotto officials had been sympathetic and she was confident the target could be reached over the next two years.

Earlier this month the fund-raising campaign was boosted by the opening of a second £75,000 screen, called The Electric Theatre, upstairs.

This will enable the Dome to show two films at once, increasing its income, which will be added to £200,000 already received from English Heritage.

Ms Stennett said the Dome was expected to close early in 2005 for an overhaul lasting for up to a year, which would result in the venue being returned to its Edwardian glory.