A HORRIFIED mum said her young son nearly ate a live maggot as it wiggled out of a chocolate biscuit he was about to eat.

Eleanor Hinchliffe was busy in the kitchen of her Shipley home when four-year-old Ben shouted: "There's a caterpillar in my biscuit!"

Miss Hinchliffe rushed in to the living room to see the white grub writhing as it emerged from a hole beneath the McVitie's mint Club bar - surrounded by dozens of tiny eggs.

"It was disgusting and Ben was just about to take a bite from it," said Miss Hinchliffe, who has called in Bradford Council's environmental services.

"He loves mint Club biscuits and was just unwrapping in front of the television with his big sister when he called out.

"I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

"The maggot was halfway out and wiggling and there were loads of little eggs sticking to the biscuit," said the 24-year-old.

Ben added: "I thought it was a caterpillar, I've read the book the Hungry Caterpillar."

The bar, opened on Monday, came from an eight bar pack Miss Hinchliffe bought at Asda, Shipley, around three weeks ago.

"That's where I do all my shopping, but I know it wasn't their fault or anything to do with them, so I rang McVitie's customer services department straight away.

VIDEO: See the maggot found by Ben 

"My concern was that people should be made aware of this as there might well be more than one maggot," Miss Hinchliffe said.

"I told them how unhappy I was and they said a sealable envelope and tub would be sent out immediately and could I post the maggot back to them freepost for investigation.

"They were helpful and efficient because that package arrived this morning."

She has also contacted Bradford Council's environmental health department who is now collecting the maggot instead.

"It's a really horrible thing to have happened. I don't know if Ben had eaten it whether it might have carried on living inside him. I don't know what sort of creature it is," said Miss Hinchliffe, who has daughters Tianah, six, and Syenna, eight, months.

Miss Hinchliffe said she will never be able to eat chocolate biscuits or bars again.

A letter from United Biscuits, which owns McVitie's, said: "We would like to make a thorough investigation into the possible cause, including an examination of the affected product.

"We know that this is a rare failure on our part and hope that it will not affect your choice of McVitie's biscuits in the future."

A McVitie's spokesman said the company would not be making any comment to the Telegraph & Argus.

An environmental health manager for Bradford Council added: "We have been notified of the complaint and will be investigating."