A CHALFORD mum who claims her breakfast cereal was fortified with more than extra vitamins has complained to environmental health.

Sarah Dean, 27, who lives with her husband, Richard, 42 and two children, Lauren,10 and James, eight, alleges the breakfast cereal was "infested" with insects.

She said the tiny black bugs were already in the Tesco Kids Instant Hot Oat Cereal which she bought from Tesco on Stratford Road, in Stroud.

Although Mrs Dean, a mature student at Stroud College, had bought the box of cereal about two months ago, she only opened the packet, which was still within its use-by-date, on Saturday.

"I opened it and had a bowl on Saturday morning and then wrapped the bag up tightly and closed the box.

"I noticed there were small black specks in it but just thought they were part of the cereal. But when I went to have another bowl on Sunday I realised the black flecks were moving and were in fact insects.

"I felt physically sick when I realised and was just grateful that it was me and not my children who had eaten it."

Mrs Dean is adamant the bugs, which were about the size of ants, could not have got into the box since she had opened it because she said that she had wrapped the packaging up really tightly and they weren't found elsewhere in her home.

She contacted officers at the environmental health department at Stroud District Council, who took the cereal and are carrying out an investigation.

Council spokesman Dave Marshall confirmed on Monday that an investigation was taking place.

"The cereal appears to be contaminated with biscuit beetles," he said.

"But it will take us some time to complete the inquiry because we have to follow the product right the way through the supply chain."

Tesco's spokesman Carol Leach said the company would require the cereal back before they could comment further.

But she said: "We take all complaints of this nature very seriously."