A dad who suffers from facial palsy was left feeling like a criminal after McDonald’s staff called the police on him, mistaking his condition for drunkenness.
Craig Brown, 46, was left in shock when an ‘overwhelming’ number of police vans descended on the drive-thru where he had been waiting nearly an hour for his food.
After ordering two chicken mayo sandwiches, a burger and three hot chocolates, six officers ordered him out of his car around 1am last Sunday (October 6). The staff at the Blackpole, Worcester branch had called the police, suspecting the father-of-five was under the influence of alcohol and cannabis.
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However, tests confirmed he was completely sober and to add insult to injury, McDonald’s handed him his now cold food. Craig, who was previously diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy causing one side of his face to droop occasionally, believes the staff mistook his condition for intoxication.
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He claims he joked with the cashiers about needing a hotel due to the long wait but insists he wasn’t acting drunk or slurring his words. The self-employed electrician said he was abruptly told to wait in a parking bay with a friend, where they stayed until the police arrived 10 minutes later.
Craig, from Worcester, said: “It was a bit of an ordeal really, it shocked me when I saw the police arrive with their blue lights on. I saw one van then two others arrived. It was a shocking experience. I didn’t think they’d be coming for me.”
“I’m not a restless sort of guy. But there comes a point when you get past the intercom when you’ve ordered your food and you’re waiting for 40 minutes.
“We got to the window and they gave us our hot chocolate and they asked us to park in the bay. I think I jokingly said to them ‘shall I book a hotel?
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“They said ‘sorry we’ve had screens go off’, so I think they were lying to me until the police got there. I wasn’t slurring my words, I wasn’t drunk. You can tell straight away when someone is on drugs, and that wasn’t anything like me.”
“The police then arrived, pulled over and got straight out. They were looking for registration plates but I didn’t think it was for me. I was shocked and in disbelief really when they accused me of being drunk and taking drugs.”
“I don’t do drugs and rarely drink so I was astonished. There were people watching me, I use that van all the time. It’s in my name. It made me feel like a criminal.
“They made me do a breathalyser test. I told them I’d score zero.”
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“When the police had finished with me, we got the food but it was stone cold. They didn’t offer me a replacement meal or anything.
“I understand they have a duty if there was someone drunk in the store or reversing into cars, but they had no evidence that I was drinking or doing drugs.”
Craig said he was diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy several years ago which has caused one side of his face to drop and may have been the cause of the confusion.
He said: “I’ve had Bell’s Palsy so one side of my face is slightly dropped, but other than that surely you know when someone is drunk.
“Maybe my face was dropped on one side, I don’t know. Maybe that was the cause but it’s still wrong.
“Why did six police officers come too, they blew it way out of proportion. One came on a flashing blue light.
“When I saw the van with the blue light I thought something was kicking off, so it was quite a shock. You just can’t assume I’m on drugs.
“It was intimidating – it doesn’t take three vans and six officers. I don’t know what right McDonald’s has to call the cops.
“If they saw me leaving the pub across the street and swerving I would understand but I wasn’t.
“It’s disgusting thinking about how much money I spend there and the way they have treated me. I’ll certainly think twice about returning.”
A spokesperson for McDonald’s stated: “At McDonald’s, we are committed to being a responsible neighbour and contributing to the safety and well-being of the communities we serve.
“It appears that in this instance, although our team’s intentions were well-meaning, their judgment was incorrect, and for that we would like to apologise to the customer.
“However, it is important to emphasise that our focus remains on the safety of our local communities.”
A representative from West Mercia Police stated: “Officers were called to McDonald’s on the Blackpole retail park at around 1.10am on Sunday 6 October, following a reported concern over a driver who was potentially under the influence.
“Upon officers’ arrival, they located the driver who passed a breathalyser test, and no further police action was required.”
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