THE Whitefield caterer acquitted in court has celebrated his "eggsoneration" in style.

Friends presented a large chocolate egg to the Bury Old Road-based caterer Marc Cooper who was last week found not guilty of five food hygiene charges following a salmonella outbreak in 1997.

The bug, which affected more than 100 people, was traced to a raw egg used in chocolate mousse prepared by Mr Cooper for the Jewish festival of Passover.

The unusual gift was the brainchild of Whitefield pattissier and chocolatier John Slattery and took staff at his Bury New Road shop three hours to create.

The figure of Mr Cooper is shown bursting out of the chocolate shell with the words "He's been eggsonerated. Well done from Slattery's" iced on the egg. Mr Slattery said: "We have dealt with Mr Cooper for a long time and he has been a friend and customer.

"We were all very pleased with the result he got and decided right there and then to send him something.

"We decided that a large egg would be more appropriate than a card considering the details of the case and Marc was very pleased - he thought it was fun."

He denied that the gift was in bad taste. "We hope that people will take the gesture in the spirit that it was given.

"I feel very sorry for anyone who was unwell but it was a good result from the trade point of view as we have no control over the raw products that are supplied to us."

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