Ashley Walsh from Gosport had been working for Burger King in West Street, Fareham for a few months before he said he received a letter from management that his weekly go Large' goal set by the company wasÂ under average.Â

The 20-year-old said: '˜To receive a disciplinary for not upselling larger meals to customers was really upsetting and they also put me on a list that said I could only have tap water and fries at work instead of a full meal.

'˜I understand a company has to make money but I felt extremely uncomfortable trying to persuade people to buy a larger meal and the letter and the fries made feel even more uncomfortable at work and embarrassed.'

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The letter given to Ashley read: '˜The following letter has been issued due to:

'˜A go Large average of below 35 per cent. The target set by the company is 40 per cent. This is a continued issue and I am yet to see any improvement or effort made by you in regards to this.

'˜The following issue/s above is not acceptable and will not be tolerated by the company.'

Ashley, who is a film student at the University of Bournemouth, previously worked in a branch in his university town.

He said: '˜The Bournemouth restaurant was really nice and there was nothing like this at all and then I transferred to Fareham and we were all put under a lot of pressure to upsell.'

Ashley's mum Vicky Walsh put the letter on Facebook and it has been shared hundreds of times.

The 41-year-old said: '˜I think it is absolutely disgusting and I had no idea so many people would feel the same.

'˜I just thought a few of our friends would have a grumble but when I think about what Burger King has done it makes me angry because they are punishing young people by rationing the food they can eat which is unacceptable.'

The pair also feel the policy implemented at the Fareham branch goes against trying to beat obesity in the UK.

Vicky said: '˜The government has brought in the sugar tax and is trying to combat obesity yet Burger King is actively trying to make their customers order bigger portions.

'˜It is a terrible policy and I would encourage people not to eat there or work for them.'

Ashley has quit his job at the fast food branch in Fareham.

A BKUK Group Ltd spokesperson said: '˜This is a rare incident that does not reflect our values or practices across the business.

'˜To help our customers make informed, healthier food choices,Â BKUK Group Ltdalways provides clear nutritional information in store and on our website.

'˜The size of the meal ordered is at our customers' discretion.