McDonald's has been ruled off limits by two high schools in the town of Gore, on New Zealand's South Island.

The Southland Times reports that the town's two secondary schools - Gore High School and St Peters College - had asked that pupils in uniform not be served during school hours.

Franchisee Simon Rhind said he and partner Cherie Edwards had previously owned a McDonald's outlet in another town and ran a similar policy at the request of schools there.