A decision to reject the plans of multi-national fast food giant McDonald's to open round the clock at weekends has been welcomed by councillors and residents who opposed the proposal.

The burger behemoth applied to open its drive-through restaurant at the junction of Twickenham Road and the A316 through the night on Friday and Saturday but Richmond Council refused the scheme last month.

Under McDonald's plans the restaurant would only be closed between 2am and 6am on weekday mornings, Monday to Friday, but the council repeated a decision it made last year, when a previous application for similar hours was submitted, by refusing the proposal.

Councillor Munira Wilson, who represents West Twickenham on Richmond Council has been leading the opposition and 86 per cent of residents who responded to a survey by councillors during the first planning application were against the extended opening hours.

Coun Wilson said: "Residents were incredulous when McDonald's had the cheek to put in a second application asking for 24 hour opening after the first one was turned down in the face of strong public opposition.

"McDonald's have now quite rightly been told for the second time within the space of a few months that any such extension in opening hours is unacceptable as it would create an unneighbourly increase in noise, disturbance and pollution during unsociable hours'.

"I sincerely hope that this time McDonald's gets the message and does not try to put in any further application along these lines."