The McDonald's branch in Ashford's Designer Outlet is closing down today.

However, the closure of the fast-food chain at the shopping centre isn't permanent, it's just in preparation for the work at the Designer Outlet to begin.

On Monday, expansion work will begin at the town's tented shopping centre which will see the existing food court destroyed as an additional 50 units for shops and restaurants are added.

The branch was originally meant to close at the beginning of November, however this was postponed by Outlet bosses until today.

The move out of the food court means that McDonald's will now be getting it's own standalone restaurant which will have more than 200 seats for its customers and will be heated, unlike the current food court which was often referred to as a 'wind tunnel' due to the lack of a solid roof.

McDonald's is the last chain to move out of the food court, with Spudulike - who moved on Wednesday - Subway and Lost Sheep Coffee all moving into their own units in the shopping centre.

However, Millie's Cookies and Harry Ramsden's have both closed their stores permanently.

The current McDonald's branch in the Designer Outlet will be closing as normal at the end of their trading day at 9pm, it is not yet known when the new McDonald's will be open.