Odeon cinema screens The Theory of Everything with no wheelchair access

Stephen Hawking film is a contender at this year's Oscars

Eddie Redmayne plays Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything (Universal)

The Theory of Everything was made in the hope that it would inspire disabled people, provided they can actually get into the cinema to see it that is.

A cinema in Harrogate told a boy in a wheelchair that they could not accommodate him for any of the weekend's nine screenings of the film, which chart Stephen Hawking's impressive contributions to astrophysics made while battling motor neurone disease.

"Stephen Hawking is one of my top three heroes. I thought it was going to be a very special day," 12-year-old Joe France told The Mirror.

"He said to me the film was supposed to inspire people but how can somebody in a ­wheelchair be inspired if they can’t see it?" his mum Kelly added. "I cried when he said that."

An Odeon spokesperson said that due to the cinema being a listed building it could not adapt the screen for wheelchair access.

The film has now been moved to a disabled-friendly screen, and Odeon has apologised to Joe and offered him free tickets.