MCDONALD'S has apologised after a customer was told they could not eat in at a Newport branch because they did not have a smartphone.

Nathan Jones, 47, was not lovin’ it when he visited the fast food branch in Cardiff Road, but was told he could not sit in and eat his food as he did not have a smartphone and was unable to check in using the Track and Trace app.

QR codes are used by many businesses to help the NHS Test, Trace, Protect system but many have offered a pen and paper alternative for people unable to scan the codes.

Mr Jones said: “I asked if a staff member with a phone could scan it for me, but they didn’t seem concerned.

“I was on foot so wanted to dine in, but my only option was to order take-away and sit outside in the cold.

“I’m sure many folk don’t have a fully working smartphone for a host of economic reasons; my mum doesn’t even know how to use a smartphone.”

READ MORE:

McDonald's has confirmed that this goes against their policy and have apologised for the misunderstanding.

A spokesman said: “In line with government requirements, our restaurants across Wales, England and Scotland must keep a temporary record of all dine-in customers.

“We encourage customers to scan our QR code poster available in each restaurant, but for those customers who do not have a smartphone or require assistance, our employees can manually collect their contact details instead.

“We’d like to apologise to the customer in question that on this occasion, the policy was not implemented correctly.

"We have spoken to the restaurant to remind them of the processes we have in place.”

According to comparison website, Finder UK, last year 79 per cent of UK adults owned smartphones – meaning slightly more than a fifth of UK adults did not own smartphones.