A Southampton grandfather says his grandson was served a "rotten burger" after a trip to KFC.

Ian Eyers, 53, took three of his grandchildren – two twin boys aged four and an eight-year-old girl – out for a takeaway after their brother fell ill and was taken to hospital.

He took them to the KFC drive-through on Bursledon Road on Wednesday, January 24.

Ian said: “My grandson who is four years old took one bite and said that he really didn’t like the burger.

“After taking a closer look at the burger, I could see that the lettuce that was inside was completely rotten – I was totally shocked.

“You do not have to work in food hygiene to know that it's not right to serve that to a customer.

“The order came to just shy of £15 – there needs to be better standards put in place at that store because I could not believe what my grandson had been served.”

Daily Echo: Ian Eyers has take his complaint to the city council

The grandfather-of-four said he completed the survey attached to the receipt in order to let higher-ups know about his experience.

He said he also reported the incident to Southampton City Council's food hygiene department.

KFC in Bursledon Road is due an inspection, according to the Food Standards Agency's website.

Ian said: “I am not happy at all – my daughter has worked in the corporate food industry so I know hygiene checks are common.

“After having a difficult few days, the children were really looking forward to a treat – to be served a rotten burger.”

In response to Ian's claims, A KFC spokesperson said: “We have strict quality processes in place across all our restaurants – date checks are conducted daily, and lettuce is stored below five degrees at all times.

"But occasionally, lettuce placed next to chicken in a burger can wilt and lose colour due to the heat – which is what has happened here.

"That said, our Care Squad is always on hand to iron out any queries and in this case reassure the guest that there’s nothing to worry about!”