A customer was left feeling sick after settling down to eat a burger only to find a live caterpillar wriggling out from the lettuce. The 28-year-old from South Shields was enjoying a meal at Ed's Easy Diner, at the Metro Centre, Gateshead, after a cancelled operation on January 23. The man, who didn't want to be named, had just sat down to his cheeseburger and fries when the insect crawled out from his meal. Scroll down for video . The caterpillar (circled) was found squirming out of the lettuce when the customer stopped to have a drink . He said finding the live insect wriggling in his meal was like 'something from a nightmare' He said: 'I put the burger down for a drink and there was something funny. I looked down and I saw a caterpillar crawling out of the burger. 'I was sick later that evening. I just couldn't believe it, it was like something from a nightmare.' A video shows the caterpillar slowly emerging from lettuce in the burger. The following day the man's partner contacted the restaurant but said he received no response so her father intervened, after which he claimed he was told the meal would be on the house. He has now vowed never to return to the chain. He added: 'I was offered a £50 voucher and £100 to the charity of my choice but I'm never going to eat there again. 'I'd rather they gave £150 to charity, I've not thought which yet but possibly a wildlife one.' A spokesman for Ed's Easy Diner, in Gateshead (pictured), said it was an 'unfortunate but isolated' incident . A spokesman for Ed's Easy Diner said: 'This was an unfortunate but isolated incident at our diner in Gateshead. 'We took immediate steps to resolve the problem and are confident the diner is back to our usual exacting standards. 'All our lettuce leaves are washed and sanitised individually. 'We invest considerable time and resource in maintaining the highest possible food hygiene standards and have an excellent track record.'
Shocked customer found a live caterpillar wriggling out of his burger . He bought the burger at a diner in Gateshead before discovering the bug . After complaining, he was offered £100 to go to charity and a £50 voucher . He recorded a video of the insect crawling out of the half-eaten burger .