A SCOTTISH McDonald's branch has banned under-18s from the restaurant after 6pm – unless accompanied by an adult – due to staff safety concerns.
Senior staff in Peterhead, Aberdeen, have said they had been forced to make the decision after repeated incidents and bad behaviour of young people.
The fast food store also said it was working with other local businesses and Police Scotland to tackle anti-social behaviour in the area.
In a post on Facebook, the assistant branch manager wrote: “Post on behalf of Peterhead McDonald’s.
“Due to continued anti-social behaviour and threats made to members of our team, from 6pm onwards, under-18s will need to be accompanied by an adult to gain entry to the store.”
The store later clarified that under-18s are still welcome but after attacks on staff, there had to be a change.
More than 1100 people commented on the move before comments on the post were restricted. The post has also been shared more than 200 times.
A McDonald’s spokesperson said the decision "was not taken lightly".
In a staetment, they said: “At McDonald’s we have a zero-tolerance policy towards anti-social behaviour, and the safety and security of anyone visiting our restaurants remains our highest priority.
“This decision is a temporary measure and was not taken lightly.
“We are committed to working together with the police and other local businesses as we address the wider issue of anti-social behaviour in this area.”
A similar move was made by a McDonald's in Fort William and one in Dunfermline both in 2023 because of verbal abuse targeted at its workers, and several stores across the country have night-time security in place.
