BURGER firm McDonald's has put up a plaque in honour of a North-East customer who visited every day until he died.

Terry Steadman, 59, a former nightclub doorman, and his friends always sat at the same table, which they called their "office".

The plaque in his honour reads: "The Office - in remembrance of Terry Steadman."

Terry, who suffered diabetes and lung disease, died suddenly of heart failure.

The staff who saw him daily at the McDonald's restaurant in Hartlepool, Teesside, were devastated by his death. They wanted to mark his contribution to the daily life of the branch and decided on the plaque.

Shift manager Katie Bell said: "He was a real character, a joker and a prankster and we all miss him."

Terry's niece, 19-year-old Alex Thompson, who works in the McDonald's branch, came up with the idea of a plaque.

She lived with him for seven years at his home in the Rossmere area of the town.

Alex said: "He was like a father to me. He always had a smile on his face and never let the fact he was in a wheelchair get him down."