A MAN said he was shocked and disgusted when he found a rat in a packet of sunflower seeds he bought at a supermarket.

Bahram Ibrahim, from Blackburn, was enjoying his favourite snack until his next handful came across the dried-out dead rodent.

He was disgusted he had eaten some of the seeds before making the discovery and took the packet back to the Kashmir Supermarket in Blackburn the next day.

Although he had lost his receipt, the 34-year-old was told to contact the product makers Aytac based in Manchester and London.

He said: “It was half four when I went to the supermarket and got some sunflower seeds.

“When I came home I started eating them, taking a handful each time slowly, when I felt something big inside the packet.

A spokesman for the Kashmir Supermarket said: “He did not have a receipt when he came in, but it is between him and Aytac not us, as it is their product which we cannot see before someone buys it.

“We told him to speak to them but since we do not know what really happened, we cannot comment on that.”

After going back to the shop, Mr Ibrahim said staff were understanding but said he should speak to Aytac, as the sunflower seeds were not open when they arrived at the store.

Mr Ibrahim said: “They saw on the security footage that I had bought the sunflower seeds from there, but that this was to do with the company Aytac.

“I spoke to Aytac and they gave me an email to send them photos of the rat in the packet.

“If they do not believe me they can come and look at it themselves, I still have it.”

Mr Ibrahim wants to warn other people who may have also bought the sunflower seeds from the same supermarket.

He was so worried after almost eating the rat, Mr Ibrahim visited Blackburn Royal Hospital and told doctors he thought he might get ill.

He said: “I went to the hospital and told them I had eaten out of the packet the rat was in.

“They said I was okay, but I was scared because a rat is a dirty animal which carries illnesses.”

Mr Ibrahim is waiting hear back from the manufacturers but said he will contact a solicitor if he is ignored. Aytac was unavailable for comment.