LONDON, Ont. — Tim Hortons said it will review its policies with employees after a teenager had an asthma attack in a London restaurant and wasn't allowed to use a store phone to call 911.

And when paramedics arrived at an exit-only door on Sunday afternoon, employees didn't let them in.

"He was visibly in distress," said Kali Sproat, who used her cellphone to call 911.

"The employee asked, 'What do you want?' kind of rudely. He said 'Help. Phone.' But she told him the phones weren't for customers — there was a pay phone across the street.

"They didn't ask if he needed help. The whole time, not one of them came out from behind the counter to see if he was OK," Sproat said.

He was eventually taken away by ambulance.

Sproat said he told her he suffers from asthma, but his medication wasn't working.

A Tim Hortons spokesperson said the employee didn't realize the boy was having trouble breathing.

"My understanding is that the young man asked to use the phone and the team member didn't recognize he was in medical distress," said spokesperson Michelle Robichaud. "The safety and well-being of our guests is of utmost concern to us."

The company will review with the staff what they should do in an emergency situation, Robichaud said.

Sproat said if she hadn't stepped in, the boy would have had no help at all.

Attempts by QMI Agency to locate the teen were unsuccessful Monday. No one under his name had been admitted to hospital.

kate.dubinski@sunmedia.ca

Twitter: @KateatLFPress