A tot's trip out with her grandmother was ruined after the KFC they attended would not accommodate her needs.
Anne Deegan Hunt, aged 61, took her granddaughter Leila, nine, to the restaurant on March 26 alongside Leila's carer.
Leila has learning disabilities and autism and quickly became distressed at the loud music being played inside the joint, Lancs Live writes.
The grandmother-of-eight from Southport states that she could not settle Leila down after she had climbed onto a table and was shouting for the music to be stopped. Leila then started to hit herself as Anne waited for the music to stop playing.
She said: "Leila had managed to get on to a table and was screaming for the music to be turned down. The whole shop could hear her. I explained she was autistic and asked the employee at the counter if he could turn the music off.
"He told me he would have to talk to the manager. Anne had started punching her stomach. She has a Stoma had so she was at risk of causing serious harm to herself."
When the employee came back out, Anne was told that the manager would not turn the music off and that it could only be turned down. She said: "The employee was really understating and he apologised but the manager didn't even come out to see what was going on."
Leila struggles to find activities that she enjoys doing, suffers with social anxiety has Goldenhar syndrome. Her grandmother said: "Because of her autism she has built up anxiety about going out and she only enjoys doing certain things. I was more upset for Leila because that's one of the few things that she likes to do."
The grandmother of eight eventually managed to get Leila off the table but had no choice but to leave said: "I don't think turning the music off would have spoiled anybody's dining experience. It's probably more distressing to watch a child in that state.
"As they wouldn't turn the music off the situation was just getting worse. I was left feeling distraught and Leila's disability wasn't accommodated at all."
A KFC spokesperson said: "We’re really sorry we didn’t get this one right. We want our restaurants to be a welcoming place for everyone, and we’ve followed up with the team to ensure it doesn’t happen again. We’d like to make it up to the family and would love for them to get in touch with our Care Squad to give us the chance."
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