Confectionary maker Mars has been forced to recall products in 55 European countries, including the UK, after bits of plastic were found in a chocolate bar in Germany which was traced back to the Mars factory in the Netherlands.

A Mars Netherlands spokesperson said: "We cannot be sure that this plastic was only in that particular Snickers. We do not want any products on the market that may not meet our quality requirements, so we decided to take them all back." In the UK the products affected include fun-size Mars and Milky Way bars and boxes of Celebrations.