Boys handed lifetime ban after Isle of Wight cinema incident

It is reported that two boys entered a screening at Ryde’s Leo Leisure Commodore Cinema on Star Street without paying and assaulted another boy inside.

The violence is understood to have erupted after the victim alerted the manager that the boys had sneaked into the venue.

The manager said such behaviour would never be tolerated and, as a result, the two boys have been handed a lifetime ban from the building.

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Hampshire and IW Constabulary were called to the incident shortly before 7.20pm after receiving reports of an assault.

Police were told that a 13-year-old boy had been assaulted in the toilets by another teenager.

A spokesperson said the victim received minor injuries to his face.

The cinema asks anyone who witnessed the incident to contact them directly via their Facebook page.

The Commodore management is now working to prevent similar incidents.

In a statement, the manager empathised the importance of customers reporting suspicious or disruptive behaviour, as it is “impossible” for staff to monitor every individual entering the screen while serving other customers.

The manager said: “I’m constantly trying to make this a safer place these last couple of months from incidents like this that people don’t see, hence the locks on the toilets.

“So, I’m really sorry to the parents that I couldn’t prevent this situation from happening.”

The manager also expressed deep gratitude towards customers who helped during the incident.