"Investigating Isolated Incident: Grandad Left Frightened After Finding Snake in Aldi Broccoli"
Key Highlights :
A grandad was left ‘frightened’ after finding a snake in a bag of Aldi broccoli. Neville Linton, 63, said he only discovered the serpent when he was taking the bag of veg out to make a meal, three days after purchasing it from the Aldi supermarket. The snake, which was found in broccoli purchased from the Stourbridge branch of Aldi, was taken to Dudley Zoo after the discovery.
An Aldi spokesman said they were “investigating this isolated incident” and have apologised to Mr Linton. Speaking to the Mirror, Neville said: “It was pretty frightening. I'm not good with snakes. It's lucky I didn't just leave the broccoli out in the kitchen, or it would have been loose in the house. That would have been a huge risk for us because we have two vulnerable people living here."
He has been offered compensation for the ordeal but says it does not cover the risk to his disabled son and vulnerable mother-in-law, both of whom live with him. He added: "It's just not good enough - the implications for us if it had got out in the house are huge. Plus, I'm phobic of snakes so there's the emotional impact of that too."
The snake in question is believed to be a young ladder snake, a species found in areas of south-western Europe, including Portugal, Spain and Southern France. While not venomous, an agitated ladder snake would be capable of a painful bite for humans and can often become aggressive when threatened, as well as letting out a foul odour at times of stress.
Aldi has stated that their supplier has never had a complaint of this nature and has robust processes in place to prevent such issues occurring. They are continuing to investigate this isolated incident and have apologised to Mr Linton that their usual high standards were not met.
It is understandable that Neville and his family were left feeling uneasy after the incident. While it is likely to have been a rare occurrence, it is reassuring to know that Aldi are taking the matter seriously and are doing their best to ensure that such an incident does not happen again.
