Needles in strawberries: Oxley Police District detectives investigate Walcha contamination report

A NEEDLE has reportedly been discovered in a strawberry purchased in Walcha on Wednesday afternoon.

The strawberry was purchased in one of two supermarkets in Walcha, and police and the store were immediately notified.

Oxley Police District Chief Inspector Phil O’Reilly said consumers need to cut up their strawberries before eating.

“All the investigations across NSW are being coordinated by the state Crime Robbery and Serious Crime Unit who are working with police in QLD, our investigation material will form part of their investigation,” he said.

“The packaging was seized by police for forensic analysis and we’ll provide as much information as possible to investigators.”

Police are interviewing the people who purchased the fruit and the store management.

The stock has been removed from sale while investigations are underway.

This is the third contaminated strawberry to be found in the New England region.

Earlier this week, strawberries containing needles were reported in Inverell and Guyra in two separate incidents.

The contaminated strawberries were seized and sent away for forensic testing.

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Residents are urged to cut any strawberries before they are consumed to check for foreign objects.

The strawberry contamination crisis has affected every state in Australia, with a 100 strong investigation team tackling the contamination crisis in Queensland.