Bowling alleys in Ashford and Rochester amongst those Hollywood Bowl plans to open from July 4

Four Hollywood Bowl ten-pin bowling centres in Kent will welcome back visitors next month - and families can now pre-book their place in a lane.

The company has announced its plans to reopen bowling alleys across England from July 4 after putting in place a range of new safety measures to reduce the risk of Covid-19. A Kent cinema chain has also released its planned opening date.

Hollywood Bowl is to reopen four centres in Kent next month
Hollywood Bowl is to reopen four centres in Kent next month

Its entertainment complexes in Ashford, Rochester, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells are all set to be part of the reopening plans.

The company shut all its venues in March when the nation went into lockdown in a bid to halt the spread of coronavirus.

Each venue will cater for a reduced number of visitors when the doors are opened again, in an effort to promote social distancing.

Alternate lanes will be open for bowling, to provide extra space between each game taking place, and signs throughout will remind customers to maintain a safe distance from others.

Customers will also be given the option of wearing disposable gloves whilst aiming for a strike and playing on the amusement areas and will be asked to wear their own shoes while bowling.

Hollywood Bowl in Maidstone is to reopen next month
Hollywood Bowl in Maidstone is to reopen next month

Stephen Burns, chief executive at Hollywood Bowl Group, said: "The health and safety of our customers and team remains our priority.

"Whether it's to bowl, enjoy the amusement areas, have a bite to eat or something to drink, we want to assure our customers that we are doing everything we can to create a safe and fun experience for families to return to.

"We look forward to welcoming them back through our doors very soon."

Customers are now able to make advanced bookings online, and should Government guidelines change and they are not able to reopen as planned in July, full refunds on all bookings which have been made will be available.

Bowling alleys are not the only attractions asking customers to pre-book in order to limit visitor numbers and enable social distancing. Read more here about zoos, wildlife parks and historical attractions you can visit across Kent and the safety measures in place.

Read more family-related news from across Kent at www.mykentfamily.co.uk

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