‘Venue told me to bring sun cream then confiscated it’

On a scorching hot weekend in June, Leanne Fish prepared to dance the evening away at Scarborough Open Air Theatre.

The 39-year-old, from Hull, was a regular at the venue and this time had booked to see electronic duo Basement Jaxx.

With temperatures set to reach 25 degrees, the theatre posted to Instagram, reminding concert goers to pack sunglasses and sun cream.

Leanne arrived on 21 June, armed with her factor 30 – only to be asked to hand it over by security staff.

“Being fair-skinned and previously being diagnosed with cancer, I take things like that a little bit more seriously,” Leanne said.

“I always take my sun cream everywhere anyway.”

Once at the venue, security did the usual routine of checking bags, but stopped Leanne when they found her sun cream.

“He said ‘oh you can’t take it in’ and I replied, ‘well why can’t I take it in?’,” Leanne said.

“He told me it’s not allowed, it’s on the prohibited items list.

“He took it off me, I wasn’t allowed to go in with it.”

Upset by the situation, Leanne messaged her dad, Steve Fish, once she got inside.

“I was straight on the phone to Scarborough Open Air Theatre and the lady on the phone said it was down to the security,” he said.

“I was annoyed about it on the day because the sun cream just goes in a bin apparently, so it’s just a waste of money.”

Steve believed the sun cream could have been mistaken for a spray or aerosol and that was the reason for its removal.

“The security guys maybe need a little bit more training to identify what is and what isn’t a spray,” he added.

A spokesperson for Scarborough Open Air Theatre confirmed sun cream was not on the prohibited items list.

They added all security teams had been “thoroughly briefed” on what was and what was not a prohibited item and they were looking into Leanne’s complaint.

Leanne is due to return to the venue in August for a Will Smith concert, but said she was worried the same thing would happen again.

“I’ll be in the seated section this time, so I’ll be sat in the sunny area of the arena,” she said.

“If the sun’s out and it’s warm, I’m going to need sun cream.

“When they specifically put out a safety message, you go through the gate and they take it off you, it’s ridiculous.”

The venue said the management team would speak to Leanne about her experience and “ensure her next visit to Scarborough OAT is a pleasurable one for both her and her family”.

“Just to reiterate, sun cream is not a prohibited item at the venue and Leanne should 100% bring this with her to the concert she is attending in August,” a spokesperson said.