Mum 'livid' after McDonald's refuse to let potty training toddler use toilet
A mum says she will never go into a McDonald's branch again after a member of staff refused to let her toddler use the toilet.
Bernie Henderson, 36, was turned away from the fast food restaurant because she was not a paying customer, GrimsbyLive reports.
She pleaded with the worker at Grimbsy's Victoria Street branch on Saturday, for a number of minutes, to no avail.
READ MORE : Mum who assaulted officers given time off curfew to go on holiday to Spain
Eventually, she was forced to take her desperate two-year-old, Vaida Mae-Dale, back into Freshney Place shopping centre to use the toilets there.
They had been in Grimsby town centre for most of the morning and had already used toilets in the area before attempting to use one in McDonald's.
The mum is currently in the process of potty training Vaida and explained that she can't control when she needs to go.
Bernie says she's disgusted with the response from McDonald's and thinks that it's totally unacceptable to refuse a child the use of a toilet.
She said: "I've been potty training Vaida for a while now, but I can't control where and when she needs the toilet.
"We'd used toilets in town before we entered the vape shop on Victoria Street. Having explained that I would need to get my daughter to the toilet, they suggested I go across the road and use the one in McDonald's.
"Taking their advice, we walked across the street into McDonald's. Only two steps in I was stopped by someone who worked there and asked if we needed any help.
"I asked if I could borrow the toilet for my daughter and she just kept telling me that it was only for customers to use.
"In the end I had to take my two-year-old daughter all the way across town, just to go to the toilet.
"I can understand why you might turn some older people away because you don't want them causing issues, but not a young child.
"It was just awful.
"I was fuming and I'm absolutely livid about it. How could they refuse a little girl the use of a toilet?
"I work in a barbers and we let everyone use the toilets - from bus drivers to delivery men.
"I just can't understand why she would blatantly refuse to let her go to the toilet.
"I've spoken to some friends of mine about it and they said it isn't the first time they've heard of something like this.
"I've never had this problem anywhere else, but I definitely won't step foot in the place again - not a chance."
Bernie said she has since spoken to the branch manager who apologised.
A McDonald's spokesman said: “We are sorry to hear about this lady’s experience.
"As soon as they were made aware of the situation, the restaurant manager apologised and the restaurant crew were reminded of our expectations on how they should deal with similar requests in the future.”
