POLICE and council wardens are being forced to direct traffic outside a newly re-opened McDonald's in Southend.

While customers described the situation as "sensible" at the McDonald's at Southend Airport Retail Park, there is a world of difference around the Eastern Avenue outlet. 

Both re-opened for drive-thru food this morning as part of a national roll-out.

Queues are building along Cokefield Avenue from the direction of Pantile Avenue and customers are reporting queues of up to two hours. 

>> Praise for 'sensible' queueing system at Airport McDonald's as customers happy to wait for 50 minutes

Echo:

One customer said: "The queues are so bad, it's actually stopping the flow of traffic round the area.

Echo:

Very British - cars queueing up along Cokefield Avenue 

>> You've made a Big Mac-Stake! Residents fury as they're told to shift their cars over drive-thru queue fears

"People are actually joining the McDonald's queue thinking they're just in traffic. They have no idea what's going on.

"It seems really badly thought-out."

Echo:

Busy - the scene outside McDonald's

The problems come after Southend Council banned residents in Cokefield Avenue and Pantile Avenue from parking outside their homes in anticipation of bad queues. 

Customer, Sally Stone, was eagerly waiting to get a McDonald’s double cheeseburger for the first time in months with her 17-year-old daughter but was “gobsmacked” by the queues just half-an-hour after the re-opening.

The 40-year-old, from Southchurch, said: “We got here around 11.30 and were waiting for over an hour and a half.

“I knew it would be busy but we were gobsmacked when we got there and saw the queue.

“We thought it would move fairly quickly but I was very wrong there.

“I tried to leave after an hour but it was just impossible what with cars coming down from the other side of the road and I was just boxed in by the cars in front and the cars behind.”

Cokefield Avenue resident, Yvette Blanche, 68, said: “It is appalling that we are being penalised so that people can get McDonald’s - it’s absolute madness.

“I had to ask the police to help me get off my driveway at midday which wasn’t easy as the cars are all sitting behind one an other so closely.

“I appreciate there are security and police here to try and keep things running smoothly but it’s total shambles.

“We as residents are really cross that the council would even authorise this parking restriction so that people can go and get a McDonald’s.

“It’s caused chaos for drivers who are just trying to come down the road as they can’t get through, and it’s even worse when the bus turns up.”