THE city's Vue cinema will not be showing screenings of gangster film Blue Story following a mass machete brawl at a multiplex in Birmingham.

The cinema giant pulled the film from all of its 91 venues, including that in Friar Street, Worcester, and was quickly followed by competitor Showcase which has banned the film from all of its 21 branches.

Neither company was advised to do so by police, with the decision criticised by some, including the film's writer and director.

Blue Story is still showing at Worcester's Odeon cinema in Foregate Street, however.

On Saturday evening the 100-strong brawl, largely involving teenagers, some with machetes, broke out in Star City's foyer where families were queuing to see Frozen 2.

Six teenagers, including four 14-year-olds and a 13-year-old girl, were arrested in connection with the riot and later bailed by police.

Seven officers sustained minor facial injuries, with West Midlands Police calling the incident “maybe the worst thing” it'd seen.

Blue Story's writer and director Andrew Onwubolu condemned the incident but defended his film, saying it was about "love not violence".

ITV News presenter Charlene White tweeted: “Seriously @vuecinemas?! Clearly an isolated incident at one of your locations, but you choose to blame @BlueStoryMovie & ban it from ALL your venues. Utterly ridiculous."

The film tells the story of best friends Timmy and Marco, who go to school together in Peckham but live in neighbouring London boroughs, and become rivals in a vicious gangland war.