FILM critic Mark Kermode has revealed that he once stormed out of a movie – because a cat was being ill-treated on screen.

The Hampshire-based reviewer was taking part in a question-and-answer session with a group of schoolchildren when he recalled the event.

He said: “As a rule I don’t walk out of films because it’s my job to give them the benefit of the doubt but I object to cruelty to animals.

“It hardly ever happens but I was watching one film where someone started being cruel to a cat.

“I thought if they can’t make a movie without doing that, I don’t care what their film is like.”

Children at Lymington Junior School also asked him if he had ever fallen asleep during a screening.

Mark, 49, who lives in the New Forest, said: “I genuinely stay awake most of the time, but there was one reviewer who used to fall asleep and actually snored, but still managed to write a better review than anyone else.”

The visit was organised by FILMCLUB, an educational charity that encourages pup-ils to set up a film club at their school and submit reviews.

Mark told the children: “I can’t tell you how much fun it is being a film critic – it’s the best thing in the world.”