Boy’s chicken nugget ordeal

From the archive, first published Monday 11th Sep 2006.

A NINE-YEAR-OLD boy choked after swallowing a chunk of metal that was inside his chicken nugget.

Thomas Cornthwaite was tucking into a meal from his local takeaway when he started to cough violently.

After several minutes of his family desperately hitting him on the back, he coughed up a chunk of metal.

Thomas said: "I was just eating my dinner when I swallowed something that I felt get stuck in my throat. I had a drink but I couldn't stop choking. Then I felt like I couldn't breathe.

"I was really frightened when I saw the piece of metal land on my plate. My throat is all scratched and it still hurts.

"I'm not feeling great and I'm really disappointed because I've had to miss a kick boxing competition that I was looking forward to taking part in this weekend."

The family, from Staton Avenue, in Tonge Fold, Bolton, had bought the nuggets from Allens Fried Chicken, in Bury Road, Bolton, on Friday.

Thomas' mum, Karen went to the take-away to complain but claims she was told by the counter assistant: "I just cook it".

When Thomas was still having trouble catching his breath later on that night, his parents took him to the Accident and Emergency department at the Royal Bolton Hospital where they were told that the metal had cut his throat. Mrs Cornthwaite, aged 35, a school dinner lady at Turton High School, said: "I was just petrified when I saw him choking. I thought it must be a bit of chicken at first but when I saw him coughing up blood we were all in such a panic.

"When I saw him spit the metal out I was gobsmacked. I was just furious.

"The take-away should have been mortified but the man there offered no explanation or apology. Thomas could have died. He's so lucky it didn't cause more damage."

The family is now planning to contact Environmental Health to lodge an official complaint about the standard of the food.

They are also looking in to seeking compensation from the company. Idrees Mohammad, owner of Allens Fried Chicken, said: "We are really sorry about what has happened.

"When the customer came in to complain, I think there was a misunderstanding on the part of my employee who thought she would return later to speak to the manager.

"We get the nuggets from a manufacturer and unfortunately a situation like this is out of our control, because the nuggets come to us already prepared.

"If the lady contacts us again, we will pass on the information to the manufacturer and call for them to investigate what has happened.

"We will also look into changing our supplier."

Archive Home