A Weston-super-Mare father has accused Cineworld of "abandoning" his disabled son during an evacuation after a fire alarm sounded at the town's cinema.
Shaun Rowlands said his 15-year-old son, who uses a powered wheelchair and has Duchenne muscular dystrophy and learning disabilities, was left frightened after staff appeared unsure how to help wheelchair users.
The incident happened on June 20 after a screening of Toy Story 5 at Cineworld in Weston-super-Mare.
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Mr Rowlands said his son had been at the cinema with his carer when the fire alarm sounded as they were making their way to a lift.
He said they followed exit signs but found themselves at the top of a stairwell before returning to the main foyer, where staff appeared unsure how to help.
Mr Rowlands said: "My biggest concern is this could have been a very serious incident.
"My son has enough to deal with.
"This is one of the few things he loves doing and now he's too scared to go.
"From what the carer said, the signage is horrendous.
"There was no sign for disabled people explaining what to do."
According to a complaint sent to Cineworld, the pair were eventually directed to a fire refuge room after waiting several minutes for assistance.
Mr Rowlands said his son's carer reported that staff appeared "panicky" and that they were left in the room without being told whether the alarm was a test, a false alarm or a real fire.
In his complaint, he said they were told only that it was a fireproof room and that the door would close behind them.
The pair attempted to use an intercom inside the room but, according to the complaint, received no response.
Mr Rowlands claims it was about 10 minutes before anybody checked on them.
He said he was concerned about staff training and evacuation procedures, particularly for disabled cinema-goers, and has been seeking answers from the company since the incident.
A Cineworld spokesperson said: "We are sorry for any distress caused by this incident.
"The cinema followed its evacuation procedures after a fire alarm was activated.
"All Cineworld employees receive mandatory and refresher evacuation training."
The cinema said it is liaising with the local fire service to identify any further learnings.
The Weston Mercury has contacted the service for comment.
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