Film fans turned away from Rochdale cinema

Odeon Cinema, Sandbrook Park, Rochdale

For film fanatics Friday (2 July 2010) was the highlight of the year, the new Twilight film hit the box office and special screenings were taking place all over the country at 00.01 am.

However, some movie lovers from Rochdale had a shock when they arrived at the Odeon cinema at Sandbrook Park – they were told they couldn’t go in.

The film, rated a 12A, is a huge attraction to many youngsters interested in the vampire fantasy, but staff at the cinema told parents and guardians that their 12-year-old children couldn’t watch the film because of new ‘legislation’

Sian Welsh, 20, waited up all night to take her 12-year-old sister Natasha to watch the film, she said: “We had already ordered the tickets on the internet and we were both really excited to watch the film, we picked up the tickets from the collection machine and went to the security staff to make our way through.

“We were asked how old Natasha was, when I told them 12, we were asked to step to one side.

“Shortly after we were told that under 18s are not allowed to the cinema after 11pm.”

Miss Welsh told Rochdale Online that this legislation is not advertised clearly enough and deemed the acts of the staff as ‘unfair.’

Miss Welsh added: “We weren’t the only people being told we couldn’t go in, there was a lady there with her children who had bought the tickets weeks in advance and she also knew nothing of the legislation.

“The manager told us that the new legislation had been in place for about two weeks, and that under 18s were not allowed in after 11pm. Myself and the lady with her children argued that at one minute past midnight it was actually Saturday (3 July 2010).

“The manager knew we had found a loop hole but still wasn’t prepared to let us in. We were offered guest passes for the following day, to watch the show at 10.30am.

“On getting home we noticed that the guest passes stated that they couldn’t be used within the first three weeks of a new film being released.”

Miss Welsh said she could understand the situation if she was taking her sister to watch a film rated for a 15 or 18 certificate but not for a 12.

She added: “The service wasn’t good enough. I am very annoyed. This new legislation isn’t being advertised enough, it isn’t clear. It should be bold or highlighted on the website when you buy the tickets.”

A spokesperson for Odeon said: “Odeon Rochdale operates a policy whereby children under the age of 18 are not permitted to attend screenings shown after 10.30pm every evening.

“Odeon Rochdale apologises for any inconvenience experienced at the midnight screening of Twilight on Friday, 2 July and would like to offer the guests affected complimentary tickets so they can visit the cinema on another occasion.

“The cinema will ensure all guests booking late night tickets are informed of the policy via the Odeon website and the Odeon Rochdale box office.”