A heart-warming gesture has meant a boy with autism, who was distressed and overwhelmed at his first ever Arsenal football match, had "an incredible evening" his family will never forget.

Arsenal fan Dave Curran stood up to leave the Emirates stadium 20 minutes into last Tuesday's match against Leeds United after his son Lennon, who has autism, found the environment overwhelming.

For seven-year-old Lennon, who is a pupil at Letchworth's Wilbury Junior School, it was his first ever Arsenal match, and Dave had been looking forward to the father-son outing.

However, Dave said: "Once we were in the ground, he struggled with about 50,000 people shouting and was having a hard time. Halfway through the first half I could see he wasn’t going to get used to it, so we had to leave.

"When we left the stadium, a steward asked why we were leaving and I told her. She asked me to hold on and contacted someone else. Next thing I know, we’re being walked towards club level.

"They’ve got a sensory room [overlooking the pitch] where we could watch the rest of the match. The bloke running the room, Luke Howard, was fantastic with everyone in there and, between him and the stewards that helped, turned the night into a great memory. Thank you Arsenal."

Lennon's mum, Ashley, added: "The room was filled with lights, mirrors, sensory toys - you name it. It turned a poor first experience into an incredible evening for Lennon. He could watch the football in the quiet, from behind the glass, and cheer when Arsenal scored.

"To the steward who noticed something wasn't quite right when they were walking out - thank you for being so observant. To the young man who built a tower with Lennon and made him laugh - thank you for being so friendly. To Arsenal Football Club, for having an amazing autism-friendly facility where families can still share the love of the game, thank you for being so clever and kind."

A spokesman for Arsenal said: "We were so glad we were able to help you and your son Dave. It's our pleasure.

"We are incredibly proud of our sensory room, and Luke absolutely loved meeting you guys."