Residents are furious at plans put forward by a fast food restaurant on a busy roundabout to open for 24 hours.

Neighbours living close to McDonald’s in St Clements Way, Greenhithe fear the increase in hours could see a spike in noise levels, litter and anti-social behaviour - leading to a potential return of notorious “boy racers” to the area.

In a letter of opposition to the Dartford council’s planning committee, Greenhithe and Swanscombe Town Council (GSTC) said: “We object to this application on the grounds that, given the sites proximity to residential dwellings, the extended hours are likely to cause an increase in litter, traffic noise and congestion.

“It is also likely that the site may become a focal point for anti-social behaviour, including anti-social driving.”

The town council is also unhappy the restaurant is asking to change the original permissions placed on the site when it requested to become a drive thru in 2020.

Planning permission was agreed four years ago on the grounds operating hours should not carry on “outside the hours of 5am to midnight Mondays to Fridays, with the exception of Saturdays and Sundays when the use may be carried out 24 hours”.

But the restaurant chain says an increase to 24 hours seven days a week will make little difference as “the concept of unrestricted commercial trade has already been established at the site”.

It also says the increase in hours would improve the efficiency at the restaurant.

And it disputed suggestions the increase would see higher levels of noise pollution as it said St Clements Way is already “a constant source of background noise”.

It also said the proposal would lead to more jobs for the area.

It suggests the bulk of the custom during the extended hours would come from passing trade such as lorry and taxi drivers, or emergency service crews rather than drawing people into the area.

But one resident in nearby London Road is “vehemently” opposed to the plans.

The neighbour, who did not want to be named, said: “McDonalds already impacts the area negatively and extending this only further opens the opportunity for this even more.

“Customers regularly throw their rubbish along the surrounding areas. They tend to linger, which has attracted trouble from outside the area or from Bluewater to spill into the residential locations.”

And the residents asked why it was necessary for the drive-thru to operate 24 hours when the nearby railway station and Asda were not.

Another neighbour’s objection focused on the possibility of an increase in “boy racers” which has been an issue in the area before.

“It would bring undoubtedly more issues with the cars racing through Greenhithe which we already have to tolerate without much being done about it,” they said.

“The noise created by these boy racers is bad enough as it is yet alone to encourage them to come at all hours of the week which is what would happen if the trading hours were extended.”

It’s not the first time changes to the long-standing McDonald’s, which was previously a pub, have proved controversial.

The fast-food chain kept customers waiting after opening seven weeks after building work was originally due to finish following a revamp last year.

And when it did eventually open it faced criticism it was “constantly” mixing up and getting customer’s orders wrong.

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The deadline for submitting comments has now passed and a council decision is expected soon.