Man who found glass in Chewits told '˜we won't refund 60p sweets'

A young man who found a large shard of glass embedded in his packet of Chewits was told by the confectionary giant it wouldn't even refund the 60p cost of the sweets.
Tyler Murphy and mum Jan EllisTyler Murphy and mum Jan Ellis
Tyler Murphy and mum Jan Ellis

Tyler Murphy, 20, from Barnham, came across the shocking object as he prepared to munch his favourite Vampire Fangs sweets.

Fortunately he spotted the 1.6 inch-long piece of glass before putting it in his mouth and potentially causing him serious harm.

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Tyler’s mum Jan Ellis said: “We’d just done the shopping and I was putting it away when Tyler shouted ‘look mum, glass’ and he showed me it in the sweet.

A photograph from the FSA showing the size of the shard of glassA photograph from the FSA showing the size of the shard of glass
A photograph from the FSA showing the size of the shard of glass

“It was over an inch long, triangular shaped and sharp.

“Tyler’s numb on his left side so if he’d put it in his mouth he might not have realised before it did some real damage.”

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) investigated and confirmed it was glass but Jan said she was told it ‘was not worth pursuing’.

After numerous email exchanges with Cloetta, the owners of Chewits, over at least refunding the packet of sweets bought locally for around 60p, a Cloetta spokesman told her in April: “Due to the decision taken by your district council and the

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FSA, we have been advised by them that no further action is necessary and that this case is now closed.”

Jan said: “It’s made me so angry that they won’t even, at the very least, give him another packet of his favourite sweets.

“I’m so cross but it feels a bit like David against Goliath, we can’t do anything against a firm of that size.

“He’s just lucky he spotted it before it caused a real issue.”

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In a statement a spokesman for Cloetta said: “In January 2017 Ms Ellis lodged a complaint relating to Chewits Vampire Fangs directly with Arun District Council Environmental Health, who in turn involved the Food Standards Agency.

“Cloetta UK Ltd have cooperated fully with both the Food Standards Agency and Arun District Council Environmental Health following the complaint made on this product.

“Both the Food Standards Agency and Environmental Health concluded that there was no concern over public safety and closed the complaint, informing Ms Ellis directly.”

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