ANGRY residents were certainly not lovin’ it after drivers desperate for their McDonald’s fix queued for hours outside their homes yesterday as it opened for the first time in more than two months.

The Eastern Avenue restaurant in Southend re-opened as part of a national roll out but queues began forming as soon as the fast-food branch opened at 11am.

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There were tailbacks down the whole of Cokefield Avenue in the direction of Cluny Square which blocked the flow of two-way traffic and left residents struggling to get off their driveways.

Police officers, Stambridge Security staff, and traffic enforcement officers were all needed at the scene amid reports of an enraged Cokefield Avenue resident blocking the entrance to the restaurant with his van .

One woman, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Echo: “The guy from down the road went down in his van in the morning and parked across the entrance and wouldn’t move.

“He ended up getting moved on by the police.

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“Some of my neighbours haven’t been happy at all. It is causing so many problems for the buses though, because when they are stopping at the bus stop the cars can’t get past - it’s madness.”

The fast-food chain has been closed for almost three months due to the coronavirus pandemic but re-opened yesterday with a limited menu.

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 11.30am and were waiting for over an hour and a half.

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“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.”

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

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.

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“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 another 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.”

David Ambrose, 26, added: “I knew it was going to be like this so I kind of prepared myself for it and just got on with it and listened to my tunes.

“I’m sure it will be worth the wait for a large Big Mac and fries. Shame I can’t get a milkshake though.”

Frustratingly, some drivers were unwittingly joining the McDonald’s queue until they were informed by traffic enforcement officers that they weren’t sat in traffic and had to make their way passed the queues - on the wrong side of the road - to get past.

Cokefield Avenue resident, Mrs Black, added: “It’s ridiculous, it’s going to cause an accident. People are trying to drive on this side of the road but they can’t because of the queues.

“The queue has blocked up my driveway but luckily I’m not working today.

“Cars are driving on the wrong side of the road – how is that working?”

Southend Council and McDonald’s had worked together to come up with a traffic plan in anticipation of the trouble in a bid to mitigate the problems.