A GWENT mother was horrified to discover a hairnet in a child's Happy Meal. When Tracy Evans complained to the McDonald's restaurant manager she was only offered a replacement meal.

Now the company has apologised to shop owner Mrs Evans for the incident, which it describes as "very, very unusual".

Mrs Evans, 37, of Avon Close, Bettws, was preparing for her daughter's wedding and decided on fast food for her nephews Sammy and Lee Thomas, seven and 11, of Newport.

She bought the pair of Happy Meals at the McDonald's in High Street, Newport. The boys opened their meals in the car - only for one of them to find a hairnet in the box alongside his chips.

Mrs Evans said: "I wouldn't let him eat them.

"It took a while to get the manageress and when she did come to the phone she said: 'Couldn't someone else deal with this? I'm a very busy person.'

"When we told her about the hairnet she just said: 'These things do happen.'

"She offered to give us another meal but said 'Don't expect a toy'. I wanted an apology, not a free meal.

Pictured: Tracey Evans with the hairnet she found in a Happy Meal

"I went into the restaurant but she was too busy to see us, even when I showed them the hairnet.

"I was just horrified by the way they tried to brush the whole thing under the carpet. Hairnets should be on heads, not on food."

McDonald's in Newport refused to discuss the complaint.

A national spokesman for Mc-Donald's told the Argus: "Occasion-ally things can fall from a ledge into an empty Happy Meal box, including a restaurant manager's car keys in one instance, but it is very, very unusual.

"I'd certainly like to convey McDonald's apologies about this incident and we're also sorry that it wasn't dealt with in a satisfactory manner."

The hairnet has now been passed to the environmental health department at Newport council for examination.