Bakery fined after customer bites into rusty SCREW inside her bread roll

A bakery has been fined more than £10,000 after a woman found a SCREW inside her lunchtime bread roll.

The female customer was seconds from biting into the white roll when she noticed the rusty object in the bread.

She had purchased the £1.20 pack of buns from Budgens supermarket in Waddington, Lincolnshire, before making the grim discovery.

After finding the screw, she placed it in her fridge and reported the store to North Kesteven District Council.

On Monday Neil Curtis, owner of bakery AW Curtis Bakers and Butchers Ltd, who provided the supermarket with the roll, appeared at Lincoln Magistrates¹ Court.

The court heard how the bakery had at least three previous complaints from customers who had found metal in products including a cake and a pork pie.

Curtis pleaded guilty to having adequate food hygiene procedures in place for a period of more than six months.

He also admitted failure to ensure food equipment was maintained in good condition, after the screw was found to have come loose from a flour bin lid.

After the firm was fined £11,000, District Judge John Stobart said: 'A well-known and well-respected firm has fallen from the state of grace that long-term supply to the citizens has earned them.

'I¹m aware the bakery has installed a machine to ensure any metal is detected.

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'That machine should be used. Here it is absolutely apparent that certain products for whatever reason were being diverted and not put through the machine.

'That is a serious failing. The public has a right to demand that the food that¹s being produced is being properly produced.'

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The family run firm was fined £3,000 for placing unsafe food on the market, plus a £15 victims¹ surcharge. North Kesteven District Council was awarded £1,500 costs.

For failing to follow its own food safety procedures the company was fined £2,500, with a further £2,500 fine for failing to maintain food processing equipment.

Costs of £1,750 were also awarded to City of Lincoln Council.

After the case, Councillor Richard Wright of North Kesteven District Council, said: 'This was a serious failing which put this person at risk of significant injury if the screw was swallowed and digested.

'The public has a right to expect that all food being produced for them is being produced safely and it¹s the council¹s responsibility to ensure businesses adhere to this.

'Hopefully the significant fine Curtis¹ now has to pay will ensure that they and all producers tighten their procedures and ensure nothing like this happens again.'