A fight broke out in a UK McDonald’s over arguably the most divisive item on its menu – the Filet-O-Fish. You can watch a clip of the shocking moment below:
The brawl escalated so badly that staff at the branch on Warwick Road, Solihull, were forced to barricade themselves inside.
A group of teenagers attempted to get back in amid the dispute, which unfolded on 12 April, before police officers arrived at the scene.
Advert
In a clip obtained by BPM Media, the team of McDonald’s workers can be seen in the restaurant as they partake in a heated back-and-forth with the teens.
Shouting can be heard in the background as staff push the group away and slam the door shut. The footage then cuts to a number of police officers who were called to address the incident.
But while we know a fight went down, there are two versions of what happened in the build-up.
One of the youngsters involved told the outlet that the conflict kicked off after he was charged just 77p for two Filet-O-Fish meals and a milkshake, and claimed that a Maccie’s manager accused him of fraud.
"We were pushed out with physical force. A manager saw that we had got the food for 77p and he said we were committing fraud,” explained one of the teens.
"They pushed us out and locked the door on us. One staff member also took my friend's phone off him. That's when we went around to the back and everything escalated."
But McDonald’s has since claimed the teenagers damaged the restaurant and were asked to leave, leading to the commotion between the staff and customers.
The company told the publication that the safety of its staff and customers is its ‘absolute priority’.
A spokesperson for the fast food giant said: "On the evening of April 12, our restaurant team acted quickly to stop a group of youths from accessing the store via the rear entrance.
"This after they had been asked to leave the premises for causing disruption and damage to the restaurant.
“We have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to crime and anti-social behaviour and will assist police with their investigation.”
West Midlands Police were called to the incident at around 5.30pm that day, and while officers who attended the scene spoke to everyone involved, there were no reported arrests.
A force spokesperson said: "We were called to a customer dispute. We attended and spoke to everyone. No one reported any injuries or crimes."
Topics: McDonalds, Food And Drink, UK News
Daisy Phillipson