The mayor of Autun, Vincent Chauvet, said he had written to McDonald's bosses to retract their marketing campaign – and planned to pass a municipal law banning it if they failed to comply.

In total there were approximately 20 offending posters, each showing close-up photos of McDonald's products, including burgers, chicken nuggets, and fries.

Autun, a 2,000-year-old town in central France, is protected as a 'City of Art and History' and is in the running for Unesco World Heritage status – meaning that outdoor advertising is subject to strict regulations.

Despite their world-renowned cuisine, the French have a soft spot for 'McDo' as the burger giant is known in France.

And aside from the United States, no other country is home to so many of the chain's restaurants. 

READ MORE: Just why do the French love McDonald's so much?

In addition to the lures of free WiFi and cheap, convenient food, the chain has won over the French with attempts to fit in with national cuisine – offering a camembert burger and a McBaguette, as well as giving upmarket customers the option of a knife and fork in a world first.

And in 2014, locals in the northern town of Saint-Pol-Sur-Ternoise even launched a pro-McDonald's protest after delays at the opening of a new restaurant in the area.

But the chain has also riled the French at times.

Residents of one famous Paris street fiercely protested against a McDonald's being opened there in 2013, and city authorities have turned down three applications from the company to open a three-storey restaurant in the historic neighbourhood. 

In 2015, the Paris city council said that it would do “everything possible” to keep the golden arches out of the area.

And in the heart of Provence wine country, the small town of Saint-Romain-en-Viennois protested against plans for a new McDonald's in 2016.