WHEN pregnant Kirstie Woodall got a craving for a snack, she reached for her favourite cereal.

But out of the box came not only the cereal and a plastic toy, but what she believes was a lump of coal.

"I will have to go to the doctor's now because I have already eaten half the packet," said Kirstie, 21, of St Stephen's Road, Acomb, York, who is seven weeks pregnant.

She was pouring herself a bowl of her favourite Kellogg's Frosties and put her hand into the packet to guide them out.

To her horror, there in the bowl was the black lump, which measures about 5cm by 4cm.

"I screamed and jumped back and my fianc came running in to see what was going on," said Kirstie.

Kirstie's next thought was to phone the manufacturer to complain.

"A recorded message said all the lines were closed due to staff training," she said.

"But training for what? Coal mining?"

Further calls to Kellogg's have also gone unanswered.

Kirstie's craving for the cereal remained and she put the lump to one side and poured herself another bowl, adding milk.

"But there were black bits floating in it and the milk went a grey colour," she said.

"No matter how much I wanted them, I just couldn't eat that."

But despite the stomach-churning experience, Kirstie said she is still craving Frosties.

No one from Kellogg's was available for comment at the time of going to press.

Updated: 11:30 Monday, April 16, 2001