McDonald’s security guard kicks man in face as he lies on floor

‘It is completely unacceptable to see anyone behaving this way,’ says restaurant chain

Still image from video shared on social media of security guard kicking young man outside McDonald's restaurant in Leeds city centre, 26 November, 2019. (Megan Rhodes/Facebook)

A security guard has been filmed kicking a man as he lay on the ground before adopting a fighting pose outside a McDonald’s restaurant in Leeds city centre.

Video footage shows a young man lying on wet paving stones with his arms protecting his face as a man dressed in a high-visibility vest and an armband aims a kick at his head.

The security worker then gets into a sparring stance, holding his fists up to his chin as the youngster leaps to his feet and runs off down the road.

Two other men dressed in high-vis jackets, who also appear to be security workers, can be seen in the video, filmed by a bystander in Albion Street, Leeds, in the early hours of Tuesday.

An anonymous witness told LeedsLive the victim and his two friends had allegedly been abusive towards security staff and had thrown glass bottles towards the McDonald’s branch after they were refused entry to the restaurant.

A spokesperson for McDonald’s told The Independent the worker involved was contracted by an external company.

They added: “It is completely unacceptable to see anyone behaving this way, and we are in the process of fully investigating the incident.

“The individual in question will not be on duty at any of our restaurants while the investigation is ongoing.”

West Yorkshire Police said three men were arrested on suspicion of affray and later released on bail.

The force added in a statement: “At 2.50am on Tuesday, 26 November, police were called to an incident in Albion Street, Leeds, involving three males, with reports of an unidentified victim having been hit over the head with a bottle.

“Officers attended and enquiries led to three men, aged 18, 23, and 24, being arrested on suspicion of affray. They were later released on bail pending further enquiries.

“No victim was identified for the assault and no other offences were reported in relation to the incident.”