Tim Hortons location lifts ban on students

Signs posted at a Tim Hortons in Ontario banning high school students from sitting in the restaurant have been removed.

Students from Michael Power/St. Joseph Catholic high school in Etobicoke were outraged when told they could only pay and go during school hours.

The Tim Hortons, located at Eringate and Renforth Drives, had posted signs saying "Students, until further notice... take out only."

A written statement Friday from Tim Hortons' head office in Oakville, said the signs had "now been removed from the store" and the restriction was "no longer in effect."

"We are responding to an incident that occurred at one of our stores where some unfortunate and inappropriate behaviour caused disruptions to other customers," read the statement.

"We have met with and appreciate the support from Michael Power/St. Joseph Catholic High School on communicating the importance of positive behaviour while visiting the restaurant."

Upset kids

Students, outraged by the 'walk-thru' service, were threatening to boycott the coffee shop and had even taken their fight to social networking website Facebook.

"I acknowledge that there are a lot of irresponsible kids in there but I think most of us are a good group of kids," student Michael Bonanno told CTV Toronto.

"I don't want to go in there and cause trouble, I want to go in there and enjoy my coffee, enjoy my lunch, like everyone else has the right to do."

An adult customer, Don Garrison, suggested that someone should monitor the students.

"I think they should have somebody in there that is going around and watching who is causing the problems," Garrison told CTV Toronto.

Principal Rory McGuckin said school officials are responsible for the behaviour of their students beyond the street and the school building.

The school is considering sending supervisors in the future at lunch to help ease the problem.

With a report from CTV's John Musselman