MORE than 25 people are to lose their jobs in Tavistock, following the shock news that the town's McDonald's restaurant is to close. Staff at the fast food outlet were told the news two weeks ago — posters have been put up at the Plymouth Road branch informing the public the restaurant will close its doors on December 9. David Williams, Mcdonald's shift manager who has been at the Tavistock base since it opened in September 1999, said staff were very upset — particularly at the timing of the announcement, just weeks before Christmas. Mr Williams said: 'We had no warning. Although local people had been saying there were rumours about it, we had been saying, "No, it's not true". 'I heard from a relative, but it seems people higher up have known for quite a while. We were told two weeks ago. 'Everyone is a bit hacked off. We tried to ask them to postpone it until after Christmas, and we were waiting to hear back when the posters arrived regarding the closure, so we are assuming the answer is no.' Mr Williams said there were 27 employees at the Tavistock branch — the majority are part-time. All employees have been offered alternative positions at other McDonald's branches in Plymouth, or redundancy as a last resort. Mr Williams said: 'The trouble is some staff are in a very difficult position, some just can't get transport. If they live somewhere like Bere Alston, they can't get to the places or they can't get a late bus back, so the time periods they are able to work is limited, and a lot of the Plymouth branches have very late opening hours.' A spokesman for McDonald's head office said: 'We can confirm that McDonald's has taken the decision to close the restaurant at Tavistock on December 9. 'With 1,250 restaurants across the UK, it's essential that we continue to have the right restaurants in the right places to ensure we stay relevant and convenient for our customers. 'The high street continues to change, and opening, closing or relocating restaurants enables us to take an integrated, focused and strategic approach to future growth. 'As part of an ongoing review of our restaurant sites, it has become clear that the location of McDonald's in Tavistock is no longer suitable. 'Since the restaurant opened in 1999 the trading patterns of Tavistock high street have changed, and as a result we have taken the difficult decision to cease trading at this site. 'We do, however, have restaurants in Plymouth where we will continue to welcome customers. 'We will of course make every effort to transfer our 27 staff to these neighbouring restaurants wherever possible. ' The spokesman said they could make no comment on the future of the Plymouth Road site. The opening of a McDonald's restaurant in Tavistock sparked controversy at the time, with residents concerned about litter, light pollution and smells from ventilation systems. The land is owned by Trathens Properties — David Trathen was unavailable for comment as the Times went to press.