A popular fast food chain says it has acted "immediately" as one of its south Essex restaurants has been handed a two-out-of-five food hygiene rating.

McDonalds at Fortune Of War Roundabout in Laindon was given the score after assessment on January 12, the Food Standards Agency's website shows.

A McDonald's spokesman told the Echo: "At McDonald’s, we pride ourselves on high standards of cleanliness and food hygiene, and strive to maintain 5-star FSA ratings in all of our restaurants.

"In this instance, the 2-star rating was awarded primarily due to a couple of structural issues that were actioned immediately.

"We’ve requested a re-visit inspection and hope to return to our usual 5-star rating within the next few weeks."

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Before the most recent inspection, the Laindon restaurant maintained a 5-star food hygiene rating for over 12 years.

The restaurant's standards in the area of hygienic food handling were found to be 'good', and its management of food safety was 'generally satisfactory'.

However it was told 'improvement' was 'necessary' in the area of cleanliness and condition of facilities and building.

Cleanliness and condition of facilities and building includes having appropriate layout, ventilation, hand washing facilities and pest control, to enable good food hygiene.

In this area, McDonald's says its issues were "structural".

The new rating means that of Basildon's 200 restaurants, cafes and canteens with ratings, 79 per cent have ratings of five and just one has a zero rating.