Homeless man whose sleeping bag was cruelly soaked with dirty water and 'bleach' by a McDonald's security guard says he couldn't sleep because his bedding was so wet as he demands an apology from fast food chain

A homeless man whose sleeping bag was soaked with dirty water and 'bleach' by a McDonald's security guard has said he could not sleep because his bedding was so wet as he demanded an apology 

Aaron McCarthy was sitting outside a Nationwide bank branch next door to the McDonald's on Victoria Street, London, on Saturday night when he was asked to move away by guards employed by the fast food chain.

Footage uploaded to social media shows one of them splashing water over the ground with a mop next to where the 25-year-old was sitting, prompting furious backlash from passers-by.  

Recalling Saturday night's incident from his still-sodden sleeping bag, Mr McCarthy, from Limerick in Ireland, told The Sun: 'They do it on purpose to keep homeless people away but they mop this bit which isn't even their business. They can't be doing that.

'I couldn't even sleep that night because my stuff was soaked. Some of it is still damp now. That water had bleach in it. It was cold water and it's winter. I could've died.'

Mr McCarthy, who called the security guard 'heartless', said he has PTSD and has slept rough since he was 18. Describing his life as 'f****** hard', he said he has been stabbed, had bricks smashed over his head and been mugged as he slept.

He said he receives a £700 per month Personal Independence Payment and recently had his Universal Credit reduced. The Irishman said he had ended up on the streets due to his mental health issues and had struggled to find housing. 

Mr McCarthy, who has been living around the Victoria area for the past few years, spoke earlier to the Telegraph. 

Referring to the security guard, he said: 'I told them I was outside the bank, not McDonald's and so I had nothing to do with them but then one of them came out with a bucket of water with bleach in it, I could smell it.

'The guy started mopping the floor and kicking my stuff into the water. It was disgusting.

'I had to leave because it was so stressful, and I hardly slept the entire night because my bedding was all soaked. You can still smell the bleach on my blanket.'

Footage shared to social media shows the security guard wetting the area where Mr McCarthy had been camped out. 

He is heard saying 'leave me alone' as his belongings are kicked out of the way. 

Bystanders can be heard describing the situation as 'outrageous' and 'bang out of order'. 

As the scene gets increasingly hostile, a security guard can be seen coming out of the restaurant, asking Mr McCarthy: 'Why you causing trouble?'

But the crowd is quick to leap to his defence, with the man filming insisting: 'What do you mean causing trouble? 

'The guy's just covered his sleeping bag in water. It's winter! That is outrageous.' 

Damon Evans, who posted the footage on X, tagged McDonald's and asked: 'Do you think it is acceptable for your staff to soak the sleeping bags of homeless people in the middle of winter (or any other time of the year)?

'Disgusting behaviour. He wasn't even outside your premises.'

McDonald's has said it is 'shocked and saddened' by the incident and has permanently removed the 'third party security guards' from its restaurant.

A spokesperson told MailOnline: 'We are shocked and saddened by this incident. 

'The third party security guards involved have been permanently removed from our restaurants and the restaurant team has been reminded of the importance of treating all people with respect including vulnerable people both in the restaurant and within the wider community.

'We would like to wholeheartedly apologise to the gentleman in the video and will work with the council to locate him and make amends, as part of our continued support for homelessness charities and organisations across London.'