Night-time ban on under-18s at Highland McDonald's

The Fort William McDonald's said it had not been an easy choice to ban under-18s

A McDonald's in the Highlands says it has been forced to ban under-18s from the store after 18:00 because of verbal abuse targeted at its workers.

Bosses at the Fort William fast food premises said it had not been an easy decision, but it had to protect the wellbeing of staff and customers.

A small group of teenage boys have also 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 aware of the disruptive effect that anti-social behaviour by a minority of people was having on the local community.

In a post on social media, the McDonald's bosses said they would not tolerate abuse towards its workforce, adding that they had tried to find other ways of dealing with the "culprits".

Fort William's Highland Cinema has banned a small number of teenage boys

The franchise's owners said: "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.

"I have met with local police today and they have agreed that this is the best plan of action for us currently.

"We hope to revise this decision in future."

Angus Macdonald said a small number of boys were behind anti-social behaviour, including vandalism

Local councillor Angus Macdonald, who runs Highland Cinema, said a small number of teenage boys were causing problems in Fort William, including vandalising the town's only public toilets.

Mr Macdonald told BBC Scotland News: "After school and in evenings they are a real menace."

He said some residents had told him it was the worst anti-social behaviour they had seen in 20 years.

Mr Macdonald added: "We don't want them to have a police record.

"We want them to stop being trouble."

He said he hoped they could be guided towards other interests, such as sports or music.

Frazer Coupland said Fort William was a thriving town but had issues similar to those seen across Scotland

Frazer Coupland, of Lochaber Chamber of Commerce, said Fort William was a thriving town but had similar anti-social problems to many other places across Scotland.

He said: "Every sector is having a crisis and every business has to look after its staff.

"It does seem like using a sledge hammer to crack a nut and I am sure every young person doesn't misbehave, but if that is the stage they are at then we have to support that."

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

A spokesperson said: "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."

Maxine Fraser, the managing director of Retailers Against Crime, told BBC Radio Scotland's Mornings programme the abuse of retail workers was on the increase across the country.

“It’s happening in all of our areas. We cover Northern Ireland, Scotland and the north of England and the surge in violence and abuse against retail workers is just on the increase.

"Sometimes it’s probably because there are no consequences. The police do what they can do, however what more can we do?"