A British shopkeeper has found a way to pack a greater calorie punch this Easter - by dropping a creme egg in the deep fryer.

At his chip shop in the Yorkshire town of Doncaster, Martyn Bilby's battered and fried creme eggs are proving a hit, although he admits it can be a tough sell.

"They turn their noses up at first at the idea, but once they try them they eat their words and agree that they are really tasty," Bilby told Britain's The Star newspaper of his crispy creations.

"It is effectively putting something like a doughnut shell around the egg. The idea is to eat it quickly while the batter is still hot, and before the chocolate inside begins to melt. If you let them go cold it can get a bit soggy in the middle."

The hot chocolate bite is estimated to double the 173-calorie count of the traditional Cadbury creme egg, which is made with a thick milk chocolate shell, filled with a white and yellow fondant.