One couple could have been left hopping mad when they discovered a frog in their dinner, but instead they saw the funny side.

Dianne Smith, 56, of Ladywood Road, Surbiton, found a small amphibian lurking in her lettuce last week.

The label on the packaging said it was grown by R Pond.

Mrs Smith, who bought the lettuce from the Victoria Road, Sainsbury’s in Surbiton, on Friday, August 10, said the last thing she expected to find inside was a stowaway frog.

She said: “It was a little Jack frog just a bit bigger than a 50p. “It really gave me quite a shock but I think he was more frightened of me than I was of it.

“I shouted to my husband ‘frog in the lettuce, there is a frog in the lettuce’.”

Mrs Smith and husband Kelvin released the frog into their garden and reported the incident to Sainsbury’s who apologised and gave them a complimentary bottle of wine.

A spokeswoman for Sainsbury’s said food safety was a top priority for the store and they were concerned to hear about Mrs Smith’s experience.

She said: “We were pleased she did the right thing and released it back into the wild, and we’re also grateful that she let us know.

"We have apologised to Mrs Smith, and look forward to seeing her in our store very soon.”  

Mrs Smith said she could not believe the irony of the name of the supplier of that particular lettuce.

She said: “It also said on the outside of the bag to celebrate the extraordinary and I’ve certainly done that.

“It was just so bizarre, it was a dear little thing [and] the fact it came from a supplier called R Pond tickled us.”

“I suppose it is a big compliment to Sainsbury’s that you know it must be organic.”