By NewsGram Staff Writer

In a rather odd occurrence, McDonald's, one of the largest fast-food restaurants in the world, has come out with a "new policy" that prevents it from serving homeless people.

The policy came to light when a teenager who tried to buy breakfast for an elderly homeless man at McDonald's was told the restaurant was unable to serve homeless people.

After seeing a man walking past McDonald's on Oxford Road in Manchester, Charlotte Farrow, a 19 year-old teenager decided to stop and buy him some food. As the pair queued up inside McDonald's, the homeless man tried to take out some of his own money in preparation to pay for the food, Farrow stopped him and told him she would be paying.

Later, Farrow was told about the "policy" by the restaurant's supervisor.

"He said the business manager told them they were not allowed to serve homeless people. They said it was a new policy," Farrow told the Manchester Evening News.

According to Farrow, the situation was "completely immoral" and "extremely judgmental" but both she and the elderly man were served food after the initial dispute.

McDonald's has apologised for the situation, stating there is no such policy to refuse service to homeless people.

"Both the customer and the gentleman she was buying food for were served. It is not a McDonald's policy to refuse to serve homeless people and all staff have been reminded of this," the spokesperson added.

Although the homeless policy proved false, McDonald's has introduced a controversial new policy in its Cambridge restaurants that could see customers breathanalysed before they are allowed on the premises, in a bid to stop alcohol-fuelled crime in the city.