The Co-op will now be subject to a criminal investigation following the discovery of a battery inside a chocolate Easter bunny.
Products were immediately recalled from 2800 Co-op stores and the retailer has issued a call to the 3000 customers who bought one to return them.
The National Crime Agency and Nottinghamshire Police are conducting an investigation into “alleged product tampering”.
This comes just weeks after Co-op had to recall chocolate Santas after customers discovered batteries inside two of them under similar circumstances.
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“The health and safety of our customers is uppermost in our minds,” the Co-op stated.
“We are concerned about one incident of alleged product tampering involving our hollow milk chocolate Easter bunny foil figure, which has been found to contain a small battery inside.
“This follows an incident at Christmas when two similar products were targeted and contaminated. As a precaution, we have begun a UK-wide product recall and have withdrawn the product from sale.
“Customers with one of these products should not eat it, but take the product back to store for a full refund.”
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