A staff member in convenience store Spar has been commended for turning away two customers who mocked a gay man because of his appearance, calling him a “faggot”.

The victim, Colm, from Dublin, posted on Facebook about the incident in which he went across the road to his local shop wearing shorts and a big jumper.

Speaking to OutMost, he said: “I walked over to Spar to get some wine and cigarettes. I was just wearing shorts and a jumper. I mean, I just live across the road so I just threw clothes on, not thinking about how I was dressed.

“I realise I was wearing a big jumper and some shorts, I did look a bit weird.

The original post which went viral

“I was in the queue and there was a guy and a girl in front of me buying a bottle of wine.

“The guy turned to the girl and said ‘look at that faggot in his shorts’. And laughed in my face. I just looked away because I didn’t want to make a scene, you know?

“When they got to the top of the queue, the guy who was working at the till said: ‘Sorry, I heard what you said and I’m not going to serve you’, and took the bottle of wine and put it under the counter.”

Colm also apologised as his original post contained the phrase “scaldy hun”, which he used to describe the female who gave him abuse. Some dubbed his original post problematic, as they said it was misogynistic.

Colm has since spoken to say he did not expect his post to be shared so widely. It has since gone viral.

Spar Ireland tweeted from its official Twitter account in support of the staff member.