By Chantal Frechette

TWO fast food lovers have launched a campaign to bring a Burger King to the city.

The ‘People of Worcester want a Burger King’ Facebook page was launched over the weekend, but those behind it admit the campaign was initially tongue-in-cheek.

Craig Smith, 28, had been posting on social media for months about his hopes for the Whopper restaurant to come to the city, which inspired Barry Bozward to start the page.

“This is most definitely a serious campaign to bring the king back to Worcester,” said Mr Bozward, 39. “Two people that have never met but share a passion to bring Burger King to Worcester.”

He went on to say that a photo of Worcester Cathedral edited to be wearing a Burger King crown has proven popular, while a new branch of the fast food outlet having opened in Hereford has given them further hope.

“They’re obviously in the market for new branches,” he added.

While Mr Smith admitted: “At first it was a bit of a laugh, then my posts kept getting likes, I started getting many direct messages with people getting behind it.”

As of yesterday, the page already had almost 500 followers – however, a similar campaign called ‘Bring Burger King to Worcester’ was launched in 2015 by student Matthew Lang but failed despite attracting over 1,250 likes.

Mr Smith said he is not deterred by that failure and feels “there’s a bigger market for it now” than four years ago.

Over 10 years ago city resident Benny Hill campaigned for a KFC, also through Facebook, and it worked, with a branch opening in January 2009.

The opening day brought the city to a standstill with police being called after it caused traffic chaos while 6,000 pieces of chicken were sold.

Meanwhile, McDonald’s are currently hoping to convert the old Harvester in Perdiswell into their fourth city branch, which has been met with a mixed response.

Mr Smith said the rise of other fast food establishments was encouraging but he felt Burger King would add more variety.

“We don’t need more McDonalds. A lot of people prefer Burger King,” he added.

City planners objected to a new KFC in the city centre in The Cross in October with the police calling it a “recipe for disaster” – and were backed by local residents, taxi drivers and the county’s Public Health bosses.

The latter said another fast food restaurant in that location would be adding to an area already heavily concentrated with takeaways.

Speaking to the Worcester News yesterday, Mark Hindley, 47, said: “We need a Burger King, there are too many McDonald’s taking over, there’s a pub closing down near where we live which is being made into a McDonalds. Fast food needs to be kept within towns.”

However, Rosemary Cassford, 74 said: “We have enough fast-food, we need proper shops to last through generations.”

Heather Lavelle, 41, said: “We need more convenient healthy bars and restaurants, smoothie places for example.”

Paula Mills, 49, said: “Burger King is boring – we need something like a swimming pool not more fast food.”

Burger King did not provide a response before the Worcester News went to print.