A McDonald’s in the Scottish Highlands has banned unaccompanied under-18s from entering the premises after 6pm due to abuse targeted at its workers.

Bosses at the Fort William fast food restaurant said they had been left with “no choice” following the failure of other “various tactics and compromises with the culprits”.

In a social media post on Sunday, the franchise’s owners said: “This has not been an easy choice; however, we must put the wellbeing of our staff and customers first.

“We will not tolerate or normalise abusive behaviour towards our staff.

“Having tried various tactics and compromises with the culprits, we are left with no choice but to make a rule that affects all young people of Fort William, based on the actions of a few.

“As the nights get colder we want to be a safe and warm place for the young people of Fort William, but we cannot do this at the cost of our safety.”

The management met with local police officers, who agreed that the temporary restriction was the “best plan of action”.

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The owners added: “We hope to revise this decision in future.”

A McDonald’s spokesperson said similar restrictions have been put in place in other restaurants in the past to combat anti-social behaviour.

They added: “The safety and security of our people and our customers is our utmost priority.

“This joint decision, alongside the police, was not taken lightly and the restaurant team continues to work closely with groups in the local area to understand how they can be part of the solution.”

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A small group of teenage boys have also reportedly been refused entry to the town’s Highland Cinema after they were reported to police for setting fire to paper in a toilet.

Police Scotland said it was committed to discouraging anti-social behaviour.

A force spokesperson said: “We are acutely aware of the disruptive effect that anti-social behaviour has on the community in Fort William

“It is worth stressing that the vast majority of young people do not come to the attention of police, but we know that a small minority do sometimes become involved in anti-social behaviour and their actions can have a negative impact on the lives of local residents.

“Anyone who has concerns about anti-social behaviour in their area is encouraged to contact police by calling 101 as promptly as possible.”

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