A couple have called for tighter security at a cinema complex after a gang of youths burst in three times ruining a screening and intimidating filmgoers.

Will and Lesley Wheen were in the audience when the group ran through one of the theatres at the UGC Cinema at Brighton Marina.

Minutes later, the group returned through the fire doors and ran yelling into the foyer.

After the second interruption, the cinemagoers assumed security guards would deal with the incident. But yet again the youths returned, shouting and running down the aisles.

Mrs Wheen, a 5ft mother of two boys, jumped out of her seat and gave chase.

She said: "It felt somewhat intimidating but I was also enraged a small group of youths could disrupt the quiet enjoyment of an entire audience and get away with it.

"I ran after them and chased them into the foyer. I didn't think about the possible danger. I was just determined they should not get back in again.

"My husband and two or three other men followed closely behind. I expected to find some security officers at the scene by now, which was more than ten minutes after the first outburst.

"But although there were a few male ushers, they were young guys standing around looking helpless.

"We asked them to call the police but they said the police would not treat this as a priority on a Friday evening."

The Wheens chased a small group out of the building through a fire door. But as the couple tried to close the doors, they were confronted by a gang of up to 30 youths who began shouting abuse and throwing rubbish bins at them.

As they retreated, one of the youths spat in Mr Wheen's face.

Mrs Wheen, of Lowther Road, Brighton, said: "Spitting at us was disgusting. We felt upset, furious, invaded and unprotected. And then, at this point, a security officer arrived. But it was too late."

Mrs Wheen said the cinema manager apologised to them and refunded their entrance fee - ironically for a film called The Quiet American.

Mrs Wheen said: "However, this did not compensate for ruining our evening. Nor did it offer any reassurance that something similar would not happen again."

Mrs Wheen wrote to the UGC head office last month, highlighting the lack of security and calling for managers to re-examine their procedures.

Seven weeks later, she has received neither an apology or an acknowledgement.

She said: "We're still upset about it and I don't feel they have taken the incident seriously at all.

"The cinema needs some sort of security, particularly on weekend evenings when they seem to be most vulnerable."

A statement from UGC Cinemas said: "As a result of the security incident, the fire door in question has been repaired and no further incidents have been reported.

"UGC would also like to point out incidents such as this are taken very seriously and measures were taken with immediate effect.

"We would also like to extend our apologies to Mrs Wheen and offer her complimentary tickets to the cinema."

Immediately after the incident, a spokesman for Brighton Marina said: "Since the incident, we have undertaken a thorough investigation, with both the security at UGC Cinema and Sussex Police.

"We have identified the ringleader of the gang of youths responsible and steps are being taken to prevent the youth being permitted within the boundaries of Brighton Marina in the future."