Coffee chain 'refused to serve' customer buying food for a homeless person
An investigation is under way after a coffee shop reportedly refused to serve customers buying food for homeless people.
Angela Sheridan-Hunt Ash visited Tim Hortons, the Canadian-based coffee chain, in Birmingham New Street on Sunday.
However, according to a video she posted on Facebook she was challenged and asked who her purchases were for before staff refused to serve her when she told them the products were for homeless people.
She said: "I have just spoken to the manager and Tim Hortons has a policy in place, if you are buying food or drink for a homeless person, staff will ask you who it is for.
"If they suspect, or you walk in with a homeless person, then you can't be served.
"If this is their policy, then please do not go to this f***ing place.
"I'm not telling you how to spend your money but to have something in place that is discriminating against people is s**t.
"Good old Tim Hortons?
"Not from me."
In response to the criticisms the firm posted a statement on Twitter.
It said: "Thanks for your concern, we will be investigating what happened yesterday.
"However, we can confirm that there is no company policy to discriminate against anybody at Tim Hortons."
The firm has since described the incident as a “miscommunication”.
The video has now been shared more than 1,600 times with almost 1,000 people reacting.
Following the footage the firm was hit by a deluge of criticism, including Stinson Hunter, known as the star of Channel 4's The Paedophile Hunter, furiously responded: "Treat our homeless with respect or get out of our city. Simple."
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The first Tim Hortons in the UK opened its doors in Glasgow in June 2017 with fans travelling from across the country and queuing overnight to sample the brand's famed coffee and baked goods, and the firm now runs 19 stores across the UK.
The branch in Birmingham opened last November.
