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Girl, 12, caught out in school strawberry needle prank

A 12-year-old girl has been caught out pulling a needle strawberry “prank” at a Blue Mountains school in NSW, as government officials threaten to crack down on the “parasites” behind the nation’s fruit contamination crisis.

A spokesperson for NSW Police confirmed to Yahoo7 News that a 12-year-old girl had been involved in a needle incident and described it as a hoax. It comes one day after a boy in the same state was arrested for hiding a needle in a strawberry “as a prank”.

After initially denying any involvement, the female student reportedly admitted to pulling “the prank” on her friends” when pressed by her parents and police at their family home.

NSW Police would not confirm whether or not the child placed a needle in the strawberry, but said she was dealt with under the Young Defender’s Act, adding that no further action would be pursued.

A Blue Mountains schoolgirl in New South Wales has been caught hiding a needle in a strawberry as the fruit contamination fiasco continues.
A NSW schoolgirl has been caught up in a prank involving a needle in a strawberry. Image: AAP (file image)

Meanwhile a disturbed Queensland mother has taken to Facebook with yet another reported incident.

The Cairns woman said her daughter had just purchased a banana from a Woolworths at Redlynch and bitten into it before finding a metal object. She was not injured.

Crackdown on contamination ‘parasites’

The crisis, which has seen farmers dump unwanted fruits by the truckload and Woolworths this morning pull all sewing needles from their shelves, has been condemned by Australia’s leaders.

Agriculture Minister David Littleproud says the “parasites” responsible for spiking strawberries with needles should do hard time in jail.

The government is rushing legislation through parliament to ratchet up the maximum penalties for so-called “food terrorists” from 10 to 15 years behind bars.

Woolworths have pulled all sewing needles from their stores as the fruit contamination crisis worsens. Images: AAP & Getty
Woolworths have pulled all sewing needles from their stores as the fruit contamination crisis worsens. Images: AAP & Getty

Prime Minister Scott Morrison wants the tough sanctions approved before federal politicians depart Canberra on Thursday.

“I’m just focused on making sure no idiot goes into a supermarket this weekend and does something ridiculous,” Mr Morrison told reporters in Royalla in NSW.

“We’ve booked the hall in parliament for the day, we’ve paid the rent on it, and that means no one goes home until those bills are passed.”