A ROYSTON woman has bemoaned the “pitiful” compensation she was sent after making a complaint about a fruit drink.

Ms Valerie Webb of Ermine Close, Royston, found what manufacturers called “gel capsules from pharmaceutical tablets” in the bottom of a bottle of Lucozade when she was enjoying a drink in mid-September.

She complained to the company, and sent the bottle off for testing as they instructed.

On Thursday (28) last week, she was sent a voucher for �5, which has to be spent on Lucozade.

“It’s pitiful really. Although I wasn’t doing this to get any great financial gain, I thought it would be more than this,” said Mrs Webb.

“I was convinced they would have taken it more seriously, but I suppose this is why companies like them are so well off.”

Mrs Webb purchased the 380ml bottle of Original Energy Lucozade for 79p from Costcutters in Burns Road.

She was drinking it one evening whilst doing a crossword, and noticed what she described as “finger-bit from rubber gloves,” lurking in the bottom of the bottle.

“I did this to warn people to look in their bottle before they drink it. If it was a baby or a disabled person drinking it, they could have choked,” she said.

“Even though I shouldn’t have to, I always look in the bottle now.”

The letter sent by Lucozade’s customer care department stated: “We cannot find any reason why this gel capsule from a pharmaceutical tablet has appeared in the product. Our experts were unable to determine the cause of this.”

Mrs Webb said: “I don’t know what I’m going to do with the voucher. If it’s spent on Lucozade I’ll have to examine the bottle carefully.”