AN 83-YEAR-OLD man was reportedly refused access to a disabled toilet at his local branch of McDonald's because he apparently "didn't look disabled".
That's according to his son, 53-year-old Tony Hesdon, who revealed the incident in an exclusive report published by The Metro.
Tony's father, Wally, suffers from severe arthritis. During a visit to a Liverpool-based branch of the fast-food chain, Wally asked the restaurant's manager for the key to the disabled toilets.
However, according to Tony's account to The Metro, the manager insisted that Wally provide proof of his disability before handing it over.
But despite producing his disabled bus pass, Wally was allegedly told "no, that is not proof you're disabled".
The manager instead asked the 83-year-old to produce a letter from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) and told Wally to use the loos upstairs.
Given that Wally's joint disorder makes walking upstairs difficult, this posed something of a problem.
Tony claims his father's ordeal didn't end there. When he went to use the lift to get upstairs he was told it was "only for people in a wheelchair" and that he would "have to use the stairs."
Wally eventually gave up on using the facilities altogether, opting to leave the McDonald's rather than cause a scene.
Tony wasn't willing to go so quietly though.
"You don't have to prove you're a man or a woman to use the toilets so why does a disabled person have to?" he asked The Metro.
The incident is said to have put Wally off visiting McDonald's again, having regularly visited the chain to purchase a coffee every morning.
McDonald's has since issued an apology over the incident.
The incident comes just a week after a farmer revealed he had been secretly storing a McDonald's cheeseburger and fries for six long years.
He even went as far as trying to sell the surprisingly fresh-looking food on eBay, with bids reaching up to $150.
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