Footage of a homeless man claiming staff at McDonald's in Spital Street prevent him from sitting outside by throwing water on the floor has sparked backlash online.

The footage, posted by Lisa-Marie Gardner, has been shared hundreds of times on Facebook.

In the video, the man said: "What it is, I'm homeless. McDonald's do not let me sit outside. Unfortunately I am homeless, and they say it isn't right that I sit out there. I'm not allowed to sit on the step. They come out and throw buckets of water out there so I can't sit there.

"I'm going through all the organisations, I've been through Porchlight. I've contacted the council, I've done House of Mercy I went there the beds were gone. I'm not finding any help at the moment. If there is anybody out there to help me, to help me get back on my feet to help me live a normal life. I'm trying my best."

Lisa said McDonald's "should be ashamed" for not letting the man, who did not want to be named, sit outside the restaurant.

She said: "He wasn't begging, he wasn't being a nuisance! He was just cold and hungry. This could happen to anyone! McDonald's should be shamed. [sic].

"The hurt and pain in this man's eyes just broke me! Let's all help this guy. if you see him do take time to talk to him his lovely. Obviously this is not just for Facebook this guy really needs help and support like so many homeless people who are valuable!"

Homelessness charity Crisis predicted at 76 per cent rise in rough sleepers by 2026. Their research found that an estimated 9,100 people were sleeping rough in 2016.

Lisa told News Shopper she felt strongly about homelessness because of her brother.

Lisa said: "I feel strongly about this because I lost my brother who spent some time on the streets and he was an addict who was clean for eight months then had one slip-up which cost him his life. The drugs were contaminated. It's almost the first anniversary coming up.

"It's also a matter of how they made this guy feel: lonely, rejected by society, worthless.

"He's not just a homeless guy, he's a human being with feelings. We wouldn't see a child go hungry. Homeless is a big problem in Gravesend and Dartford.

"I understand these restaurants have a duty to keep the front of their stores clean but if somebody is hungry and cold maybe McDonald's could think of giving the homeless a cup of coffee and a burger once a week on a certain day or hour."

McDonald's has denied it stops homeless people from entering the store and said the man was asked to move for safety reasons.

A spokesman for McDonald's said: “We do not have any policy in place which would prevent service to homeless individuals wanting to purchase food in any of our restaurants.

"We did ask the gentleman to move from the steps outside the restaurant as this is a fire exit, and so for safety reasons we need to ensure this access is kept clear. These steps are routinely cleaned by our restaurant team, but in no way was water used as a way of moving him.”