Nails, screws, needles found in some Halloween treats in Germany

BERLIN - German authorities said on Nov 2 that nails, screws and needles were found inside some sweets collected by children during Halloween and urged parents to be very careful with treats.In Munich, a nine-year-old child who had been going door-to-door with friends on Oct 31 bit into a piece of candy containing a nail, though police said the child managed to spit it out without sustaining any injuries.A nine-year-old girl injured her tongue after biting into a chocolate bar containing a pin at least 5cm long in the northern town of Bremervoerde, according to local police.On the Baltic Sea island of Fehmarn, police said an 11-year-old girl found a 3cm-long sewing needle inside a chocolate bar.In the central town of Umpferstedt, metal staples were found in chewing gum collected by two children, aged 11 and 12, police stated.Police launched criminal investigations into those incidents and others but no suspects have been identified.They said it remains unclear exactly where any of the children received the tampered candy during their rounds.Halloween celebrations have grown in popularity in Germany since the 1990s, driven largely by American films and television programmes as well as commercial advertising and an interest in costume parties. AFP