A slew of hit films including Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter looks set to push cinema attendances to their highest level in more than 30 years.

More than 15 million cinema tickets were sold last month, bringing the number of admissions so far this year to 102 million, according to new figures.

The Cinema Advertising Association, which compiles the figures, is forecasting more than 174 million admissions by the end of the year, the highest number since 1971.

Paul Brett of the British Film Institute said the release of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone late last year and The Lord of the Rings at the start of 2002 had offered an early boost.

"To have two event films like that back-to-back happens once every few decades. It kickstarted the year," he told Reuters.

The popularity of the medium has helped the cinema advertising market remain relatively buoyant, despite the current advertising recession.

Last year saw a 20% rise in cinema advertising to £152m.