We all know video piracy is a destructive practice.

If it is not stopped at source then it could and is having a devastating impact on the creative industries, meaning that people are not being paid what is rightfully theirs.

But that cannot excuse the heavy-handed behaviour of Cineworld staff who called police and had a group of young cinemagoers ejected from the Brighton Marina cinema on unsubstantiated claims they were illegally filming a screening.

In cases like this, which have clearly had an emotional impact on the teenagers involved, staff should ensure that they have got it very clear what has actually occurred before taking such drastic action.

Having taken this action and wasted police time and ruined what should have been a fun trip out, the company should now apologise and properly compensate their victims.