Lidl urgently recalls kids’ treats over explicit error – and shoppers are horrified

LIDL is urgently recalling its Paw Patrol-themed biscuits after a link on the packaging took shoppers to a Chinese porn site.

The kid-friendly treats, which feature two smiling dogs from the animated show on the packet, carried a web address on the back to the web domain which was rife with pictures of women engaged in explicit sex acts.

The link uses the name of the manufacturer Appy Kids Co - which does not actually have a registered website.

One parent told The Sun he was “horrified” after buying a multi-pack of Paw Patrol All-Butter Mini Bisocttis.

He said: “I don’t normally look up the websites on food packaging but I have worked in the food industry and it was a company I had never heard of so I thought I would have a look.

“I was horrified. How could this happen? You would think it has to go through a lot of checks before they put this on the packaging.

“I imagined it has to be some sort of typo but this is beyond the pale.

“They are biscuits aimed at children, so there are definitely going to be kids that look this website up.

“The worst thing is that not only is this a product for kids, but it actually says ‘kids’ in the URL, which is disgusting given the type of stuff that is on the website.”

Shoppers have also vented on social media about the error, with one user saying: "Some VILE hackers around, what a wasted talent."

In total, four Paw Patrol-themed products featured the link including five-packs of Mini Biscotti Biscuits in all butter and choc chip flavours.

It also included five-packs of Paw Patrol Yummy Bake bars tasting of raspberry and apples.

Since being approached by The Sun, Lidl has launched an investigation and pulled the product from the shelves.

A public recall poster in stores desperately urged customers not to visit the URL, which they said was “compromised” and “not suitable for child consumption”.

Instead, they were told to bring the snacks to their nearest store where they would be given a full refund.

It added: "We apologise for any inconvenience caused and thank you for your cooperation."

A Lidl spokesperson told The Sun: “As soon as this was brought to our attention, we immediately launched an investigation with the supplier that owns the URL and withdrew the item from sale.

“As a precautionary measure, we have also issued a public recall.”

The multipacks, priced at around £1, contain five treat bags in them - each with around half a dozen biscuits inside.

It's not the first time a company has unwittingly linked to a dodgy website.

In 2020, Easyjet apologised for directing unsuspecting customers to a sex site peddling prostitutes.

A link on the firm’s holiday service was supposed to go to a privacy policy, but was missing one crucial letter, and instead took users to a murky page promising to "fulfil all sexual dreams".

Around the same time, The Sun revealed how the Royal Family’s official website sent visitors to a Chinese porn site.