Get the latest on coronavirus. Sign up to the Daily Brief for news, explainers, how-tos, opinion and more.
The surprise reopening of a KFC restaurant caused hours of chaos on Lancashire roads, with
police called, queues stretching miles and eventually a decision being taken by the restaurant to close again.
The fried chicken chain this week reopened 55 of its drive-through sites – some of them without warning – leading to lengthy traffic jams across the UK.
Preston is home to the UK’s first ever KFC, which opened in 1965. Like other restaurants, it was shut as the government put
Britain in
Coronavirus lockdown in March – but the doors of a nearby drive-through branch were quietly unlocked on Tuesday.
Although it hadn’t appeared on a list of reopened sites, word spread rapidly and people reported motorists driving the wrong way around the roundabout near the KFC to escape the traffic congestion it caused.
One witness wrote on social media: “Avoid docks in Preston. KFC has re opened and the queues are crazy – people going wrong way round roundabout to get out of way. Frigging mental.”
Another person said: “Absolutely ridiculous! That desperate for fried chicken?! Are people’s cooking skills so bad?”
Others say getting hold of fast food chicken is not an “essential journey” and people should not be
BREAKING coronavirus lockdown rules to do so.
One person living in Preston said: “And this is why lockdown will be delayed due to morons like this queuing up for bloody chicken.”The scenes in Preston were so disorderly that some police were called. A Lancashire Constabulary spokesperson said: “We were made aware of there being traffic issues in the area at around 5pm on Tuesday.
“We attended but we did not tell KFC to close. It looks like the decision was taken by KFC to close the restaurant because of the traffic chaos.”
Similar scenes were reported with massive queues seen outside KFC branches including in Wales and Basingstoke.The Police closed the KFC drive through on Preston Docks today and also B&Q Preston South Rings due to long queues on heavily congested roads. At one point cars were travelling the WRONG way around the roundabout on Preston Docks.— nick power (@nickyjpower) May 5, 2020KFC has just caused two hour queues gridlocking the whole of Preston docks on the same day
UK have announced the worst death rate in Europe.. Some country us— j (@prestonjord) May 5, 2020@piersmorgan. @BorisJohnson. @MattHancockThis is madness. Sent to me . in Doncaster not far https://t.co/JKNt2SL8tW . Queue for kfc yesterday at wheatley. This is why we need masks because of stupid people like this queuing for a hour for chicken and clogging up the roads pic.twitter.com/cbJ8veMsxw— Sheila Gravel (@Spiritualme1234) May 6, 2020The massive queues as KFC reopened its drive-thru in a Welsh city https://t.co/ChblvmauoP— Michael (@MickeyD44314901) May 6, 2020I like KFC and one day I'll get the chance to enjoy it again. But I don't miss it that much that I'd sit in a queue for hours just get one. Bit sad really. And if that's KFC imagine the queue when McDonald's opens a drive-thru.— ⚒️🏴 Robert Haynes 🇬🇧⚒️ (@tyreman19) May 6, 2020To anyone who thinks it’s acceptable to be make massive queues down main roads just to get a kfc or some other fast food shite you should be banned from driving for 3 months moron’s.— Archie Mundean (@mrmundean) May 6, 2020It’s not essential. This is lockdown. Popping down to KFC in a car or not, is not essential travel. All those people are still coming into contact with the person at the drive thru window etc. And not to mention the pollution from sitting in that queue.— The Lone Siberman🤖 (@Spider_Man_Si) May 6, 2020Our local drive through KFC opened up yesterday and there was a two hour queue. People are really bored and missing greasy chicken 🤣— 𝙸𝚣𝚣𝚒𝚎 (@CollieGirI) May 6, 2020HuffPost UK has approached KFC for comment.Related... Coronavirus Is Going To Change Our Relationship With Food Forever Is It Right To Order Takeaways During Lockdown? KFC’S Dancing Chicken Heading To Slaughter Tops The List Of 10 Most Complained About Ads