Restaurant refuses to give diner toothpick over health and safety fears

A man was left down in the mouth after a hotel refused him a toothpick on health and safety grounds.

John Freeman and his wife Jan, of Lower Lane, were enjoying a New Year’s meal and party at the Macdonald Portal Golf and Spa Hotel, Tarporley, when they picked up a problem.

John said: “We had just finished our main course and I had a bit of meat stuck in my tooth which was very uncomfortable, so I asked the waiter if I could have a toothpick.



“To my shock this was refused because it’s a health and safety issue.

“I asked to speak to the manager to request an explanation – indicating, at the same time, that there were 14 very dangerous metal forks on my table that had been unsupervised for at least two hours.

“She took the point and agreed the situation was ludicrous at best – but assured me there had been a directive from head office not to provide toothpicks because they are potentially dangerous and because there’s a law against it.”