Dad with Bells palsy detained by police at McDonalds because staff thought he was drunk

A dad with facial palsy says he was made to feel like a criminal after McDonald’s staff called police on him – because they thought he was drunk.Craig Brown, 46, was left stunned when an ‘overwhelming’ number of police vans swooped at the drive-thru as he waited almost an hour for food.He had paid for two chicken mayo sandwiches, a burger and three hot chocolates when six officers ordered him from his car at around 1 a.m.last Sunday.Workers at the fast food branch in Blackpole, Worcester, had called police believing the dad-of-five was drunk and had been smoking cannabis.But tests confirmed he was completely sober and then – to add insult to injury – McDonald’s handed him his food which was now stone cold.Craig was previously diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy which causes one side of his face to sometimes droop and believes staff mistook his condition for being drunk.He said he had joked with cashiers he’d ‘need a hotel’ due to the 45-minute wait but claims had not been acting intoxicated in any way or slurring his words.The self-employed electrician claimed he was abruptly told to wait in a parking bay while he was with a pal – where they remained until cops arrived 10 minutes later.Craig, of 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.Stay up on the very latest with Evening Update.

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Never miss a story.“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 t...