The oldest McDonalds in the UK got a new entrance gateway in the form of a knife arch installed by Woolwich police.
In November 1974, McDonalds opened one of their fast food outlets in Powis Street in Woolwich, which was the first in the UK.
Yesterday (March 21) officers from Greenwich MPS installed a knife arch in the entrance to catch anyone trying to bring a blade when they went to order a Big Mac and fries.
It was not the first time officers have used metal detector to try catch those carrying weapons, and not even the first time at a McDonalds in Woolwich.
On January 15 earlier this year, officers installed a knife arch at the other McDonalds in the town, over on Church Street.
The arch is only temporary but officers have said previously that simply having the visible detector meant shifty customers would perform a u-turn once they saw it.
At the time Andy Stuart, chief inspector for neighbourhoods in Greenwich, said: “McDonald’s are really working closely with us to reduce issues. They turn off wi-fi when schools finish and have employed security.
“The outcome is that estates team officers patrolled nearby and picked out people doing a u-turn.”
In December 2017, 289 people under the age of 25 were the victims of serious violence, according to London Assembly figures, which is the highest in the past five years.
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