Grandmother finds ‘half a rat’ in frozen vegetables

Discount retailer Aldi has voluntarily recalled 38,000 packs of its frozen mixed vegetables after a grandmother said she found half a rat inside one.

Pat Bateman, 60, had just fed her two-year-old granddaughter lunch and was putting the bag back in the freezer when she noticed something “out of place” in the pack.

The retired florist said: “I couldn’t believe my eyes when I pulled it out. It just looked like half a rat. It had fur on it. I showed my husband and because it was frozen we left it to defrost before taking another look at it.” Mrs Bateman, from Liskeard in Cornwall, returned to her local branch and was given £30 off her food shop, but felt the store was not taking her complaint seriously.

Aldi later offered her £500 compensation.