Sharp objects found in Halloween sweets in Germany, Austria and Hungary

Needles and other sharp metal objects have been discovered in sweets handed out over Halloween in Germany, Austria and Hungary, prompting police to urge parents to check what their children have been given. Cases have been reported by police in a number of German states, from Bavaria in the south-east to Lower Saxony in the north. In Bremervörde, west of Hamburg, a nine-year-old girl hurt her tongue while eating a chocolate bar, inside which a 5cm-long (2in) pin was later found. Bavaria has recorded the highest number of incidents in Germany, with as many as 25 cases involving sweets containing needles, screws or nails reported to police there. Officers said similar cases had been reported in the past two years, but initial figures for this year suggested a significant increase. Police in the Middle Franconia region of Bavaria have also warned of the risk of copycat actions. Their caution followed an incident in which a mother found a needle in her child's chocolate bar and reported it to police, only to return later and say the child had admitted inserting the needle themselves. In Hungary, police have launched a criminal investigation after nails, screws and pieces of wire were found in sweets handed to children who had been trick-or-treating in and around the town of Gyömrő, east of Budapest. The local authority said one young girl had been given a toffee with a nail inside a chocolate wrapper, and that she had fortunately noticed it in time and had not swallowed the sweet. Several cases have also been reported across Austria, where police said investigations were under way in four states. A 10-year-old girl suffered a minor injury to her mouth when she bit into a small chocolate bar in the Amstetten area, east of Linz. Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner condemned the incidents as "cowardly, malicious and in some cases life-threatening". Lower Austria Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner said the perpetrators had to feel the full force of the law, adding: "Our children deserve a carefree childhood and we'll continue to ensure that." Police in all three countries have advised parents to inspect sweets collected during trick-or-treating before allowing children to eat them.