Disabled grandma and assistant Yorkshire Terrier dog denied entry to Chesterfield cinema

Bettina Farell, of Chesterfield, went to Cineworld at Alma Leisure Park with her wife and granddaughter to watch ‘The Super Mario Bros’ on Saturday.

Bettina who planned the visit ahead and bought the tickets online found out on the day that she could not enter the cinema room with her assistant dog Ted.

According to the Cineworld website ‘guide dogs and assistance, dogs can be admitted to all performances, with the exception of 4DX screenings.’

But Bettina was told by a manager at the cinema that their ‘internal policy’ suggests only sight and hearing dogs are allowed. Ted supports Bettina due to a neurological condition.

She said: “We got some drinks, food, and sweets. And then when we were approached by a duty manager, who said he was sorry but he can't allow me in with the support dog and he offered us a refund.

"It's the first time we've been to a cinema since lockdown. My granddaughter was very disappointed. This has been very upsetting for us and totally demoralising for me.

"I checked the Cineworld policy online and actually showed it to the manager in Chesterfield. He spoke to his manager but refused to let us in. He was lovely and understanding and showed me their internal policy which basically said that sight and hearing dogs and no other animals are to be permitted. It was not his fault, he couldn’t do anything with the policy decided by Cineworld.

"But the fact that we've gone to the cinema and got our snacks and drinks and then have been turned away just compounded how bad it made us feel that.”

After Bettina got back home, she called customer services at the Cineworld to complain but was told that she would need to show Ted’s ‘registration document’ to be allowed in a cinema in the future.

She said: “I am registered as a disabled person. Ted is four-years-old now and he has been going with me everywhere. He goes with me to Morrissons and to the GP, he has been to various performances at the Winding Wheel and even to a rock concert.

"There is no legal requirement for any paperwork. There is not even a legal requirement for him to wear a harness or a coat. The law relating to this, The Equality Act 2010, is 13 years old now. I have been discriminated against by somebody who really should know the law.”Under the 2010 Act, it is discrimination if an assistance dog is refused entry to a public place and their owner is prevented from accessing goods or services in a way that non-disabled people can. It refers to people both with visible and invisible impairments.

Following the incident, a Cineworld spokesperson said: “All customers with assistance dogs are welcome at our cinemas. To ensure all customers are comfortable and in line with Health and Safety there may be a requirement to show our staff documentation confirming a pet is a registered assistance dog. Unfortunately, we are unable to allow other pets, including emotional support pets, into our cinemas for health and safety reasons.”