A FURIOUS family has slammed a buffet restaurant after bosses refused to allow them to feed a homeless man who was sleeping on the freezing streets.

Jayne Dowsett, 53, from Pitsea was enjoying a family meal at Spoon World Buffet and Bar, East Walk, Basildon and asked to buy food for a man on the streets.

She was left disgusted at the behaviour of the staff.

She said: “We were coming out of the restaurant at about 9pm and it was freezing and very icy.

“We said we could all chip in together and buy him a hot meal.

“We told staff at the restaurant we would buy him a ticket but they said he couldn’t go into the restaurant.

“We explained that it was so cold and we were willing to pay for him to eat the meal.

“My family and I will not be going back to this restaurant anymore, we had our wedding reception there but we will not be going back.

The angry mum said homeless people need support, especially near Christmas in the winter.

She said so many people frown upon these people but it takes nothing to get someone a hot meal.

Ms Dowsett added: “We went to a nearby fast food takeaway business and got him a vegetarian burger, chips, cup of tea and bottle of water.

“It was so horrible seeing him on the streets, I wanted to take him home.”

However the restaurant defended its decision and revealed it had offered help in the past.

Mariya Ilieva, manager of the buffet restaurant said: “We have had this issue many times.

“This man doesn’t not have very good hygiene and so we cannot have him in our restaurant.

“It is nothing personal.

“We have tried to help him in the past, but there’s nothing that we can do for him.

“He had not been nice to our staff and we do not serve takeaway food.”

It comes just weeks after a homeless man died on the freezing streets of the town.

Lee Tyler died just days before homeless shelters opened up.