A McDONALD'S customer was not "loving it" when she tucked into a Big Mac and found a large ball of fluff.

Leanne Robinson, of Cheviot Walk in Coundon, County Durham, was shocked when she took a bite out of her burger and discovered a furry brown object almost the size of golf ball among the lettuce and gherkins.

Two weeks ago, her partner, Dominic Turnbull, bought the burger from the restaurant in Bishop Auckland, and brought it home for Miss Robinson.

But she now says she will never eat at the fast-food restaurant again after finding the "disgusting" object, which is being inspected by experts.

"It was a ball of fluffy stuff, like what you get in cushions, with bits of hair stuck in it," said Miss Robinson, 27, who has three young children.

"Thankfully, the kids were in bed because normally they like to have a bite, and they could have choked on it. I went ballistic - it's bad hygiene and it's ridiculous."

Miss Robinson, who worked at McDonald's for nearly two years after leaving school, immediately rang the branch, and was offered a refund.

But she refused, and took the object along to the restaurant the following day. She also wrote to the company, who have replied to acknowledge her complaint.

She said: "I don't want my money back - it was only £1.99 because it was with a voucher - and I certainly do not want more food. I want compensating, but it's not just that. I just think it's disgusting."

A spokesman for McDonald's said that the company took the matter very seriously and the object in question had been forwarded to a food technology laboratory for inspection.

She added that they would write again to Miss Robinson once the investigation had been carried out.