�A Rainham supermarket is investigating after customers were seen licking sweets and then putting them back into a pick-and-mix display.

Shocked customers complained to the management of the Bridge Road, Tesco, after witnessing the incident on Thursday of last week.

Shopper Shanna O’Neill said: “There were two men at the pick-and-mix counter taking sweets out, sucking them, putting some in their bags and putting some back in the pick-and-mix.

“If they liked them, they put them in the bag, if they didn’t they put them back.”

One stunned shopper tried to remonstrate with the men, but they took no notice.

‘Disgusting’

“An old lady approached them and said: ‘That’s disgusting’, but they just stared at her and carried on. I didn’t want to approach them because they were big guys and I’m pregnant,” Shanna added.

A Tesco spokesman said: “As soon as we became aware of this incident, all the pick and mix stock was removed from the shop floor and destroyed. Like our customers, we take food hygiene extremely seriously and are reviewing CCTV to try to identify the individuals responsible.”