Needle found in candy at 'trunk or treat' event prompts warnings from parent, police

Police in eastern Newfoundland are asking parents to double-check their children's Halloween candy after a needle was found lodged inside a piece of licorice.

The candy was received at a "trunk or treat" event hosted by Mishifts Car Group at an A&W restaurant in Bay Roberts on Saturday, RCMP said.

Sarah Garland of Spainard's Bay reported the incident after finding the sewing needle in her seven-year-old daughter's Twizzlers licorice.

"When she took the first string off, this is when I noticed there was something shiny. So automatically I took it from her, and then I realized it was a sewing needle in her candy," Garland told CBC Radio on Monday.

"She opened the pack with her teeth. So I'm thinking if that had to go through her tongue or the roof of her mouth, or even if she had swallowed it, it would be [a] completely different ending."

Upon further inspection, Garland said the candy wrapper didn't appear to be tampered with.

Trunk or treat events have become popular alternatives to door-to-door Halloween events in rural areas, where houses can be far apart.

Police said everyone who attended the event should check the candy that was distributed. The RCMP wasunavailable for an interview on Monday, but said it wasworking to get more information.

The police warning is the second about tainted candy in just a few days in the Conception Bay North area.

On Oct. 23, the nearby town of North River issued a similar alert and recommended that families dispose of all treats obtained from the town's trunk and treat event the prior Sunday.

A parent reported that their child became very sick after consuming factory packaged candy, although no foul play is believed to be involved.

With Halloween coming on Thursday, RCMP is reminding parents to check all collected candy before consumption.

"I can't express enough to parents to check their kids candies over and over and over," Garland said.

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