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Shocked dad Wayne Scott stopped his stepson Luke polishing off a Tesco sandwich when he noticed a WORM lurking in the tuna filling.

But he was even more surprised when the supermarket giant told him not to worry... as the worm was perfectly safe to eat.

"I couldn't believe my eyes when I read the letter Tesco sent me after I'd complained," said Wayne, 32. "Perhaps it's going to be a new sandwich filling, tuna and worm.

"They really should amend their packaging to say this sandwich may contain bones and worms.

Either that, or they should give you a sickbag when you buy the sandwich."

Wayne, a financial controller from Stotfold, Herts, bought four-year-old Luke the sandwich when the stopped at a Tesco in nearby Hatfield for a bite to eat.

"When Luke eats a sandwich he always takes off the top layer of bread," said Wayne. "As he did, I noticed the worm straight away and grabbed it back just in time as he was about to take another bite."

Yet Wayne says no one in the store took his complaint seriously so he demanded the sandwich back and took it to be analysed at the environmental health lab at Welwyn Hatfield Council.

Lab tests confirmed the sandwich contained a parasitic worm and Wayne sent the report and pictures of the worm to Tesco.

The supermarket has now written to Wayne to apologise, pointing out it was a cod worm which can be hard to spot.

"Despite its name, these can actually be found in many species of fish," the Tesco letter added. "They burrow deep in the flesh, which makes them difficult to see during filleting.

They are harmless if eaten." But Tesco pledged to investigate how they can stop it happening again.

However, Wayne, who was sent a £5 gift voucher as compensation, said he was still disappointed with Tesco's response.

"You shouldn't have to carry out your own tests when you find something wrong," he said. "Complaints should be taken more seriously.

"And I completely disagree that cod worms are hard to spot. I was able to spot it as soon as I took the sandwich off my stepson.

"There are no excuses for serving up a tuna and worm sandwich. It's disgusting."