An epileptic man has been banned from B&M after injuring three women during a seizure.

Barry Fleming - who has a rare form of epilepsy - had a seizure while he was queuing to pay at the discount store in Ashford town centre.

One woman was badly injured after being knocked to the floor and bitten by the 21-year-old during the medical episode.

She required further treatment in hospital - including stitches to close up a deep cut on her face.

Police and ambulance attended following the incident, during which a further two members of public were harmed.

But despite injuring several customers, Mr Fleming has hit back at B&M's decision to permanently ban him from the high street store.

He told KentOnline: "I'm being discriminated against because of my epilepsy.

"The way I have seizures is completely different to other people. I do tend to get violent, I don't want to get violent - it's not my intention.

"My partner tells people to stay away from me.

"A couple of weeks ago I had a seizure in B&M when I went there on my own. I pulled a women down and she whacked her eyebrow on the till and I bit her twice.

"The supervisor said I'm a liability and I'm not allowed back in there again.

"I said it is discrimination and they can't ban me because I am epileptic - I have the same rights as everyone else."

Mr Fleming, who lives in Wellesley Road, says he can have up to 20 seizures a day.

He is unable to work due to his condition and relies on assistance from his service dog - a Staffordshire Bull Terrier called Lexi - to help him when he has a seizure.

His partner Tina Pownceby added: "The dog alerts people when he is going into a seizure.

"She puts him in a recovery position and when he is coming round she licks his face.

"I've told people not to go near him because he can bite and pinch but they don't listen and approach him anyway.

"He is now not allowed in the store for public safety reasons.

"We feel they are discriminating against someone who has a disability and it is unfair."

'They can't ban me because I am epileptic - I have the same rights as everyone else...' - Barry Fleming

One shopper who witnessed the incident has slammed people for restraining Barry while he had a seizure.

"The way these people were chaotically restraining him - I saw him come out of the seizure and go back into another one", said the woman, who is trained to work with people epilepsy.

"There was a woman holding one of his limbs and it was horrible to watch.

"It could've been a more controlled situation and it was completely irresponsible the way they dealt with it.

"No one was listening to me and in the end I was left shaking and had to walk away.

"I think it's very undignified and borderline prejudice that he has been banned from the store."

A spokeswoman for B&M confirmed Mr Fleming is banned from the store but did not want to comment further on the situation.

Police say inquires are ongoing to establish if any criminal offences were committed.

A spokesman said: "At about 10.40am on Wednesday, January 15, a police community support officer was alerted to a man suffering a medical episode at the B&M store in Ashford high street.

"Three women who were present at the time reported being injured during the incident.

"Inquiries are ongoing to establish if any criminal offences were committed."

Read more: All the latest news from Ashford