A FAST-food takeaway will be allowed to stay open all day every day – as long as staff pick up after their customers.

McDonald’s on the Elgar Retail Park, Blackpole Road, Worcester, had applied to extend its opening hours on Sundays to Thursdays from midnight closing to 5am.

The change will bring it into line with its current Friday and Saturdays opening times. However, residents had opposed the application to Worcester City Council’s licensing committee saying it would lead to an increase in litter and noise from the “roaring engines” of boy racers.

A three-councillor committee was due to decide the issue at the Guildhall, yesterday, but McDonald’s and the residents managed to hammer out an agreement between them. Mark Westmoreland-Smith, McDonald’s legal counsel, said: “We’ve reached agreement.” He said the takeaway’s managers had met representatives of residents living in the Mason’s Drive area on Wednesday, last week.

Residents’ representatives Norman James and Matt Brown, both of Salter’s Close, showed McDonald’s bosses the areas where litter was being dumped in hedges and streets near where they live. “They also raised concerns about the noise of cars using the car park and driving in the area,” he said.

After the meeting, McDonald’s agreed to draft two new conditions on their own licence.

“We will carry out two litter patrols twice a week in the residential area on top of our existing litter picks,” said Mr Westmoreland-Smith.

The takeaway will also put up signs with the manager’s phone number on so people can call up if they have any problems.

Mr Brown and Mr James, accompanied to the hearing by ward city councillor Alan Amos, said they were happy. “This is a good example of how residents’ can work with businesses to get the right result for everybody,” said Mr Brown.