Film-goer dies after being trapped by seat

A MAN has died following an accident involving an electronic footrest on a cinema seat.

The man was at the Vue Cinema in Birmingham when he apparently dropped his phone between two reclining seats.

As he went to retrieve it, a footrest of a seat came down on his head, trapping him, and he suffered a cardiac arrest, reports said. Although the footrest was eventually broken off, the man, who was there with his partner, sustained serious injuries and died a week later.

A source told the Birmingham Mail: “The gold class seats are electric reclining seats. He bent down to look for his phone. At this point the leg-rest was in an upright position.

“But as he stuck his head underneath to have a look, the footrest clamped down onto his head. He was stuck and panicking. His partner and staff tried to free him but couldn’t. The chair legrest was eventually broken free.”

West Midlands Ambulance Service confirmed it responded to reports of a patient in cardiac arrest. Crews managed to restart the man’s heart and he was taken to hospital.

Vue International said: “A full investigation into the incident is ongoing.” Birmingham City Council has begun a health and safety investigation.