Police had to be called to control traffic at a fast food restaurant in Moray that reopened following a coronavirus shutdown.
The drive-through at the Burger King branch in Elgin was due to start serving meals at noon after being closed during the lockdown.
However, police had to be called to the Ashgrove Road eatery before it could reopen as the streets surrounding the premises becoming gridlocked as queues of motorists wanting a burger blocked routes to other cars.
The restaurant remained closed beyond its scheduled noon opening while officers moved on vehicles from the location and thereafter continued to monitor the area.
It is understood IT issues inside the premises contributed to the backlog due as payments were unable to be taken.
That initially forced the store to close once more before it could reopen shortly after 1pm.
Burger King announced its Elgin drive-through would serve a reduced menu and would only be accepting card payments.
Police confirmed that officers had been tasked to attend due to concerns about gridlocked streets.
A spokeswoman said: “Police attended due to large amounts of traffic. The store closed and traffic dispersed.”
Meanwhile, service at an Inverness branch of the popular food chain will also recommence next week as Burger King reopens for business.
The branch at Inverness Retail and Business Park will be open from Monday, offering a drive-through service to paying customers.
Burger King has provided masks and gloves to staff as well as training on social distancing measures.
Rival McDonald’s confirmed it hoped to have all of its drive-throughs open by early next month.
Government advice has permitted food takeaways to remain open during the coronavirus lockdown.
