Thousands of chocolate bunny rabbits are being recalled by the Co-op after an alleged tampering incident saw a battery found inside one of the figures.
A “button” battery was found inside one of the hollow chocolates, which are on sale for £1, in Nottingham, prompting fears of deliberate sabotage.
The find has prompted the Co-op to recall the treats, more than 3,000 of which have already been sold nationwide.
The battery was found by Tammy-Louise Dundon, from Bulwell, who bought one of the rabbits for her daughter, Sophia Wood.
She told the Nottingham Post: “My daughter bit the ears off and shouted ‘what’s this?’
“I was just like ‘oh my God’. How much damage do these batteries do? I’ve heard kids have died from eating them. They can get stuck in the oesophagus or can be corrosive.”
Cases of children being left with serious - and sometimes fatal - injuries after swallowing batteries such as the one found have risen over the years.
This is the latest incident in which products have been targeted and contaminated at the retailer, Co-op have said.
The battery find is being treated as a criminal matter, with both the National Crime Agency and police involved.
The Food Standards Agency has also been notified and is assisting.
A spokesperson for the Co-op said: “The health and safety of our customers is uppermost in our minds.
“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“As a precaution, we have begun a UK-wide product recall and have withdrawn the product from sale.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.”