The Daily Populous Thursday November 23rd, 2023 day edition
Authored by independent.co.uk and submitted by Sandstorm400

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}

A McDonald’s branch has banned teenagers from entering the restaurant at night after staff faced abuse from young customers.

The fast food restaurant in Fort William, in the Scottish Highlands, said it was not an easy decision but it had to ensure the safety of its staff and customers.

The ban, which will come into force on Saturday, will mean under-18s will not be allowed in the store after 6pm.

Police Scotland said it was aware of incidents of anti-social behaviour and was working to find “meaningful solutions” for young people in the community.

A spokesman for the branch said it would not tolerate abuse towards its employees.

The statement said: “Due to recent events we have had to make the decision to not allow under-18s into the store after 6pm.

“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 effects 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.”

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

“Local officers work closely with partners to address these issues and find meaningful solutions to direct our young people away from harmful behaviours.

“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

“We are committed to encouraging people away from this kind of behaviour but will take appropriate action where incidents are reported and offenders identified.

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

Bradnon on November 23rd, 2023 at 02:30 UTC »

I remember growing up and the threat of minor misbehaviors going on our "permanent record." It was bullshit of course and most kids learned as much before the end of high school.

But when you're repeatedly warned about long term consequences for at least a few years, some of the lesson sinks in even after that mechanism dissolves.

Now, kids in middle school if not younger have access to social media. They can see two dozen real world examples in under ten minutes of people getting away with blatant-if-petty crimes. Maybe there's peer pressure encouraging them to try for the thrill of it.

If I were growing up now, I think I might have a lot less respect for the odds of getting caught being a little shit.

I feel like my grandparents saying "when we were kids that would have earned us a hard slap." Getting rid of physical punishments is obviously a great thing but soft psychological incentives might have fallen out of step with modern influences.

DrinkBuzzCola on November 23rd, 2023 at 01:10 UTC »

All they need to do is play Kenny G music loud and they will leave by their own free will.

MesqTex on November 22nd, 2023 at 22:39 UTC »

Thanks to pranksters and general unruliness, I’ve been seeing this trend taking hold. I went to a restaurant in the area of the movie theater in my town, where they’re banning any kids from Friday to Sunday evenings after a specific time frame. The particular reason, I don’t know but I’m assuming dine and dash is becoming increasingly common again as it is with people just strolling into clothing stores and walking out with arm fulls of clothing without repercussions. Even the movie theater has moved up the “Rated R accompaniment” time from 10pm to 8pm.