Tesco is investigating after a customer bit into a piece of broccoli - and was spiked by a NEEDLE embedded in the stem.

Julie Howell, 54, bought a wrapped pack of tenderstem broccoli tips and didn't notice anything out of the ordinary when she tipped them into a homemade Thai curry.

But when husband Tony, 55, tucked into the dish he felt a sharp spike in the roof of his mouth.

The couple were horrified when he spat the veg out and discovered a two-inch sewing needle sticking out of the stem.

She is calling on Tesco to withdraw the product until it discovers how the spike got there.

Bosses say it is "extremely unlikely" the broccoli was sold with the needle in it but their supplier is carrying out an investigation.

Business support assistant Julie said: "I was flabbergasted when I saw him pull this needle out of his mouth and the broccoli.

"How the hell did that get in there? It was embedded in the stem in length-ways.

"What if a child had eaten it or he had swallowed it?

"It's awful. It's very shocking.

"Thankfully it didn't cut him, but by husband is diabetic and if he cuts himself it takes so much longer to heal and there's a big risk of infection."

Mum-of-two Julie bought the £1.40 pack from the store in Windsor on January 14 and tipped them straight into the pan after pulling off the plastic covering.

Her husband, a care operator, put one piece straight into his mouth without cutting it up, so didn't notice the needle the couple say they found.

She was given a £1.40 refund, a bottle of wine and some flowers, but is upset the store haven't been able to tell her how the needle got there.

A Tesco spokesperson said, "We have robust food quality processes in place during the preparation and packaging of this product, so it's extremely unlikely the item was bagged and sold with the broccoli.

"We have informed our supplier and they are carrying out an investigation."