Woman finds a locust in her Waitrose salad

Berenice Baker make the unappetising find as she was about to tuck in

The locust Ms Baker discovered in her lunch (Berenice Baker/Twitter)

A woman had a rather unwelcome surprise when she tucked into a Waitrose salad of watercress, spinach, rocket – and locust.

Berenice Baker was just about to enjoy the lunchtime meal when she made the unsavoury discovery, having already added chicken and rice to the mix.

“One forkful was half-way to my mouth when I noticed something different to the left of an average salad leaf, and there he was,” the technology journalist told BuzzFeed.

In a more humorous take on things, the insect was soon nicknamed Larry by Ms Baker’s colleagues.

She added: “I let out a bit of a squeal which grabbed the attention of the office.”

Ms Baker took the plate with the locust salad on it to the Waitrose branch below her office in Bayswater to confront its managers.

She said the shop's manager was “very sympathetic and helpful” and put the locust into a bag to send to the Waitrose head office.

Ms Baker was then given a refund and a free lunch - but steered clear of the salad.

She said: “I suspect Larry is an overseas visitor; I’ve never seen anything quite his size in this country, and what with the "plague of darkness", or Saharan dust smog, over London, I’m waiting for the next biblical plague.”

A Waitrose spokesperson said: “We’re so sorry - this must have been an upsetting experience. Although an isolated case we are investigating what could have happened.”

Locusts are notorious for their swarming phase, which can devastate crops and cause major agricultural damage, sometimes resulting in famine and starvation.

However, they are also edible and considered a delicacy in some countries.