Police are investigating after an alleged assault at a coffee shop chain in St Albans.

A man, who remains anonymous, says he was asked to leave Costa Coffee Drive Thru in Graham Close after using his snowboarding jacket as a face covering.

Staff allegedly did not give him an opportunity to inform them of his exemption on the grounds of being asthmatic.

After a verbal altercation escalated inside, the man claims he was assaulted in the car park, which was captured on a video recorded on his phone.

Speaking to the Herts Ad about the incident, which occurred on on Thursday January 21, the victim said the assault was "dehumanising" and "upsetting".

He asked: "Why do they think it's okay to treat me like that?"

He said that he hoped he could "cling onto daily rituals" such as getting coffee, which he called a "simple pleasure".

A spokesperson from Costa Coffee said: “We can confirm that an incident took place outside our Graham Place store and we are supporting the police with their ongoing investigation.”

PC Dawn Rust, of the St Albans Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: “We are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident. I would like to ask for anyone who has any information, or anyone who may have witnessed the incident taking place, to get in touch."

Information can be reported online at herts.police.uk/report, via online web chat at herts.police.uk/contact or by calling 101 quoting crime reference number 41/5835/21.