Jess Hardiman
A McDonald's restaurant has banned all under-18s from entering after 5.00pm, in a bid to reduce instances of 'anti-social behaviour'.
The ban has been introduced at the McDonald's on Church Street in Liverpool, with the fast food giant saying its decision was 'not taken lightly'.
It added that the temporary restriction is a response to employees being subjected to 'verbal and physical abuse'.
A McDonald's spokesperson said: "Over recent weeks, we have seen an increase in the number of incidents of anti-social behaviour in the area with our people being subjected to verbal and physical abuse.
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"We have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to crime and anti-social behaviour, and have temporarily restricted restaurant access to U18s from 5pm.
"This decision was not taken lightly and we are working closely with the police to find a resolution and help reduce these incidents."
The ban is already in place at the Liverpool restaurant, with one customer saying they had seen someone being turned away.
Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, they said: "As I was leaving the security guard stopped a man he believed to be a teenager and told him they weren't allowing people under 18 into the restaurant after 5pm without an adult with them.
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"The man told the security guard he was in his 20s so he apologised and explained that the new company policy meant he couldn't let groups of teens in on their own.
"I was in town the night before and there were large groups of kids all over Liverpool One and they were moved on a number of times by security near the cinema and in Chavasse Park."
Earlier this week, McDonald's confirmed it was increasing the price of its cheeseburgers for the first time in 14 years.
While it had previously flogged the much-loved burgers for just 99p, the company said that 'just like you, our company, our franchisees who own and operate our restaurants, and our suppliers are all feeling the impact of rising inflation', meaning prices will now have to go up.
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The price of a cheeseburger has now increased to £1.19, and over the summer, 10p to 20p will be added to a range of items across menus.
Alistair Macrow, chief executive officer of McDonald's UK and Ireland, said: "At times like this, we know that providing great value is important. Since we opened in the UK in 1974, we've committed to offering great tasting food at affordable prices, and that commitment will not change.
"But, today's pressures mean, like many, we're having to make some tough choices about our prices.
"This summer, our restaurants will be adding between 10p and 20p to a number of the menu items impacted most by inflation. From today, we'll be increasing the price of our cheeseburger for the first time in over 14 years, taking it from 99p to £1.19. Some prices remain unaffected, and some will continue to vary across our restaurants."