Teenagers banned from entering KFC alone without an adult

Unacompanied under-18s will only be allowed to enter to order a meal and must take it away to eat

The restaurant in Meir Park, Stoke-on-Trent, will only allowed under 18s inside in the company of an adult (Google Street View)

A KFC branch has banned people under the age of 18 from entering their fast-food restaurant following the breakout of several violent fights.

The restaurant in Meir Park, Stoke-on-Trent, will only allowed under-18s inside in the company of an adult.

If younger people do not have an adult with them, they will only be able to enter the premises to order a takeaway meal.

A McDonald’s restaurant in the same area has issued a similar ban in a bid to stop trouble inside, which was the first of its kind across the country.

A fight involving 24 people took place on the A50 near to the McDonalds. Police were called and made eight arrests and seized two firearms.

Manager Liam Dalgarno of the Meir Park outlet said: “The way some of the these youngsters act can be scary for staff.

“Under 18s are not strictly banned from the premises, they can come in to order their meal but then they have to take it out.

“A minority had been causing trouble. We had problems on a daily basis and we have gradually started noticing a difference since this policy was introduced and these measures help the staff to feel safer at work.”

A McDonald's spokesman said: "Following ongoing issues with anti-social behaviour, the police advised us to introduce a takeaway-only policy in our Meir Park restaurant for unaccompanied under 18s.

"Measures like this are a last resort and taken in the interests of the safety of our customers and crew. This policy is under constant review."