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A "gobsmacked" man claims a Costa Coffee barista refused to sell him a sandwich because he was buying it for a homeless man.

Adrian Pinsent filmed the staff member telling him that Costa could not sell him the food for a homeless person.

The barista, who was making a coffee at the time of the incident in London's Waterloo station, told Adrian he could not sell him anything because security would be against it.

Network Rail, which manages the station, and British Transport Police have both since said that they do not have such a policy in place.

"Is that Costa Coffee policy? I as a legitimate customer can't buy this food for a hungry person, no?" Adrian asks the man in the footage.

(Image: Filmquotebloke/Twitter)

"I'm really sorry sir. I'm really really sorry," the barista replies.

"We cannot. It is not from [Costa policy], it is from the security at the station and the police."

The barista does offer to speak to the restaurant manager about the situation.

After branding the policy 'ridiculous', Adrian, who was trying to buy a sandwich and a soft drink, asks another member of staff to sell him the food.

He claims he was again refused.

When posting the video on Facebook, he claimed that the argument went on for 'about five minutes'.

He said: "He wouldn't sell me the food as he said the police will prosecute Costa for it.

"The guy was with me and chose the food, and I was refused the purchase even when I said it was for me.

"This video isn't the half of it. This argument went on for five minutes and I only stopped because I would have missed the last train home. It's a f*****g disgrace."

The video ends with Adrian putting a £10 note on the counter and declaring that he is 'taking' the food in a show of resistance.

(Image: Filmquotebloke/Twitter)

Adrian, a TV cameraman from Walton-on-Thames, later the Press Association: "It was an utter disgrace. I asked (the homeless man) to pick what he wanted, a sarnie and a Pepsi, and when I tried to pay for it, they refused.

"This argument went on for some time before I filmed the video.

"I was amazed. As a cameraman and journalist myself, I know that the idea of Costa being prosecuted by either the police or station security as the barista says is utterly wrong."

A spokeswoman for Costa said: "We do not have a policy that restricts customers purchasing food for anyone who is homeless.

(Image: PA)

"We believe the store was given misinformation, which has now been corrected."

A spokesman for Network Rail said: "We do not have a policy against passengers buying food in our stations and giving the food to anyone who is homeless.

"We will be asking our retailers to remind their staff of this, so we can avoid any incidents such as this in the future."

British Transport Police said "of course" they would not prosecute anyone for buying food for a homeless person.

Mirror Online has approached Costa Coffee and Network Rail for comment.