A barefoot man was told he had to wear footwear at McDonald's.

James Graham went to the fast-food chain in Bexhill to order a bite to eat but was told he needed to put shoes and socks on after sitting down at his table because he was barefoot.

Despite having ordered his food, James, 55, was told that he needed to put shoes on to eat at the restaurant in Ravenside Retail Park. When questioned about the decision, a member of staff reportedly said: “No shoes, no shirt, no service”.

James, who is set to run the London Marathon later this year, told the MailOnline: “'I went to McDonald's in Ravenside and ordered my food. Minding my own business, I just sat down waiting for the table service when one of the service people came up and said that I could not be in there without shoes on.

“I questioned her about this and she said the words. ‘No shoes, no shirt, no service’, to which I told her that this was an old saying from hippie times in the US, used to restrict people from going into places.

"But she was having none of it. She went to get the manager, who said I may cut myself.”

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James said he started going barefoot in 2013 after his wife died. He added that his decision has drawn mixed reactions from the public.

A spokesman for McDonald's said: “At McDonald's we want to create a welcoming environment for all our customers to enjoy their experience.

“The Bexhill team informed the customer that for his own safety and for the comfort of other diners all customers are asked to wear footwear in the restaurant.

“When he refused, the customer was allowed to remain on this occasion and finish his food before leaving.”