Lettuce Isn't Supposed To Move ¤Frankenstein¤

An investigation was under way today after a shopper found a live grasshopper in salad she bought from a supermarket chain.

Eleri Nicholas had already eaten half the pre-packed greens from the Tesco store in Barry, south Wales.

The Egyptian grasshopper was lurking beneath the lettuce on her dinner plate.

Ms Nicholas, 26, said: "I was all ready to start eating when I saw this thing moving in the salad. All the leaves were just moving.

"Then I saw the insect. It was greyish and at least three inches long.

"It was really disgusting. I was very frightened and I dropped my glass. I was very, very shaken.

"Even now I'm still itching and I can't eat."

A spokeswoman for the Vale of Glamorgan Council said experts, with the help of the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff, identified the bug as an Egyptian grasshopper and she added that the creature was still alive.

Egyptian grasshoppers are found on various plants in southern Europe and can sometimes be carried north in vegetable produce.

A Tesco spokesman said the store was "very concerned" to hear about the incident and was keeping in contact with environmental officials.

Story filed: 19:17 Tuesday 29th April 2003

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