Fast food giant McDonald’s has run out of milkshakes in most of its British restaurants due to supply chain problems.

The burger chain has also been left without bottled drinks across its 1250 outlets in England, Scotland and Wales as the truck driver shortage takes its toll.

A spokesman said the group was “working hard to return these items to the menu”.

“Like most retailers, we are currently experiencing some supply chain issues, impacting the availability of a small number of products,” he said.

“Bottled drinks and milkshakes are temporarily unavailable in restaurants across England, Scotland and Wales.

“We apologise for any inconvenience, and thank our customers for their continued patience.”

The group is understood to have temporarily halted selling milkshakes and bottled drinks to ensure supply across its broader menu as haulage and supply chain troubles continue.

McDonald’s is only the latest fast-food chain to face supply woes. Last week Nando’s was forced to shut about 50 British restaurants because of a chicken shortage. It blamed staffing shortages at suppliers and a reduced number of lorry drivers.

Rival KFC also warned recently that supply chain issues meant it was unable to stock some menu items.

Businesses in a raft of sectors in Britain have been battling with a supply chain crisis due to a shortage of truck drivers following post-Brexit EU immigration rules, COVID-19 restrictions and self-isolation rules.

The supply pressures have also affected supermarkets in recent weeks, while manufacturers have reported sharp increases in the prices of raw materials.

Business groups representing the retail and transport sectors have called for the government to review plans not to grant temporary work visas to drivers from the EU.

-AAP