BANK customers are being urged to destroy sticks of rock given away at NatWest branches after two were found to contain metal staples.

Thousands of the pink, green and yellow sticks were handed out at NatWest's 225 Saturday-opening branches, including Blackburn and Burnley, in a promotion on personal loans which started on January 6.

But last week two sticks of rock handed out at separate branches outside the North West were each found to contain a metal staple.

No-one was injured but NatWest said they were urging people to return or destroy the confectionery as a "precautionary measure".

A spokesman said: "Staff at the branches handed the rock out to families, children and adults who came into the bank.

"It is unlikely that other sticks have been affected but we would rather be safe than sorry."

He added that they were in discussion with suppliers of the rock to establish how the staples had come to be there.

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