An investigation has been launched after a disabled man's wallet - carrying £100 cash - went missing from a cinema, despite a staff member calling to confirm they had found it.

Terry Green, 59, visited Cineworld in Eureka Park, Ashford earlier this month with his son James, 28, who has Down Syndrome.

Shortly after their cinema trip, he received a call from a staff member to say his son's wallet had been found.

The pair made arrangements for him to collect the wallet - which contained around £100 cash, a credit card, a Cineworld card and a carers card - after the father-of-three had returned from a wedding.

Returning to the cinema earlier this week to watch a film, Mr Green claims staff told him the wallet had been destroyed and were only able to return James' Cineworld Unlimited card.

The dad, who lives in Kennington, said: "Initially a worker from Cineworld called me and said that James had left his wallet in the cinema that the cards and cash were all there.

"He said he would keep hold of it until we could collect it as we were going away to a wedding at the time.

"James didn't know he had lost his wallet, due to his disability he drops things and doesn't realise.

"I went to the cinema when we got back from the wedding and went over to the front desk and asked for the wallet.

"I spoke to a man at the desk who said he would get it and give it back to me when we came out of the film screening.

"I went back to the front desk after the film screening and I had to explain to a young girl that someone had called me and told me it had been found.

"I asked to speak to the manager then and he said he was looking for it."

Around 30 minutes later, Mr Green claims the manager returned to the front desk and handed him the Cineworld card, which had been in the wallet.

He added: "The manager said it was company policy to shred the credit cards and he told me his staff had informed him that they threw James' wallet with the cash in in the bin.

"He said he was sorry and gave me two free Cineworld tickets even though we have already have a Cineworld card."

Mr Green, who runs The Woolpack Inn in Chilham, added: "James doesn't understand what is going on.

"He was that stressed that he came to our bedroom at midnight asking for his wallet and I had to explain that it has been lost.

"James loves the cinema, we go three times a week and everyone in Cineworld knows us, the staff always say hello to us.

"I think it is best if we find another cinema."

A spokeswoman for Cineworld confirmed an investigation has been launched.

She said: "We are taking this situation seriously and are investigating how it happened.

"We are in the process of returning the wallet and we have privately resolved the matter with the customer."

Mr Green said he hasn't been told that the wallet will be returned to him.

He told KentOnline that a customer service team member has contacted him to reimburse James with £180, which covers the cost of the wallet, lost money and inconvenience.

A police spokesman said: "We have received a report relating to the loss and subsequent destruction of a wallet containing cash and cards at a venue in Ashford.

"Enquiries will be carried out to establish if any offences have been committed."

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