THE battle to stop a fast-food giant from moving into a country town in Victoria turned ugly on Wednesday morning as protesters blocked bulldozers from entering the site where a McDonald's restaurant will be built.

Hundreds of families from the small town of Tecoma have been rallying against the proposed development, which was blocked by the local council but later approved following a ruling by the Administrative Decisions Tribunal.

The restaurant will be built on the Burwood Hwy but residents believe it will hurt local business and destroy the peaceful landscape of the town, which is situated in the picturesque Dandenongs.

According to the Herald Sun, McDonald's has launched legal action against at least eight residents for delaying construction.