Massive turnout for Butterfly in the square - but hundreds turned away

The Royal Opera House has apologised after hundreds of people were barred from a free screening of Madama Butterfly in Trafalgar Square.

There were heated scenes when an "unprecedented turnout" forced security guards to turn away many who turned up to see last night's performance relayed live from the opera house to giant screens.

About 8,000 people were able to watch, as another 2,000 swarmed the pavements around the square. But the ROH is investigating after family members were unable to be reunited to see the entire performance.

Procedures at outdoor screenings could be tightened, possibly by using a stamping system so that anyone leaving an event could be let back in.

Simerjeet Hargun, 36, from Southall, was prevented from joining her 16-year-old daughter Harinder inside the square after arriving 15 minutes late.

She said: "The security guards were not letting us in. Even when people were leaving and there was clearly space for me they still would not let me through. They didn't seem to want to help at all and were quite rude."

Mrs Hargun had to wait for the interval before finally being allowed into the square after ROH staff arrived to advise security staff about procedures.

Latvian soprano Kristine Opolais, who received rave reviews when she was a last-minute stand-in, took the lead role. An opera house spokesman said acclaim for her performance - and the warm weather - prompted the record turnout. "We've never had the combination of a really popular opera that has had great reviews and amazing weather," he said.

"We've never had a problem before. But the Royal Opera may have outgrown Trafalgar Square as we did with Covent Garden Piazza, where the relays began. This was an unprecedented volume of people."