Woman 'mortified' after buying McDonald's meal for 'homeless man' - only to discover he was an ordinary customer

'To be honest, my imagination ran away with me'

As Claire Varin placed it in front of the man, a member of staff brought over another meal and apologised to him for the wait (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

A woman was left "mortified" in McDonalds after she bought a man eating tomato ketchup a meal because she believed he was homeless - only to discover he was an ordinary customer waiting for his meal.

Claire Varin, 33, was buying breakfast in McDonalds in Halifax town centre when she saw an unshaven man with a rucksack sat at a table eating ketchup from the sauce dispenser.

Fearing he was homeless and hungry, she decided to buy him a meal.

As she placed it in front of him, a member of staff brought over another meal and apologised to the man for the wait.

Ms Varin told the Daily Mail: "I felt like I was going to die of embarrassment."

She said: "To be honest, my imagination ran away with me. 'Had this poor man been out on the streets all night? Was this the only food he would eat all day?'

"Maybe he had no money and was starving. I thought only desperation could lead someone to eat ketchup.

"I felt really sorry for him. It was a very cold morning and I thought how can I sit here with this meal and leave him sat there with just ketchup?

"He must have been sat there for a good 10 minutes so I assumed he hadn't ordered and had just come in from the cold."

She said she felt fantastic that in some way she had helped the man, but left the restaurant as quickly as she could when she discovered he was an ordinary customer.

She added: "I really enjoy a McDonald's breakfast now and again, but I think I'll have to give that store a miss in the mornings in case I see that man again."