A disabled Southampton resident has slammed a ready meal provider after she says she thought she was going to die after choking on a six-inch-long piece of plastic.

Angel-Rose Halo, 62, sat down to watch television while she ate her dinner, a Parsley Box ready-meal, at around 7pm on an evening in late April.

While tucking into her vegetable and lentil hotpot, she swallowed what she thought was a shredded piece of cabbage.

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The Lordshill resident said: “As soon as I swallowed it became stuck in my throat – it felt like my eyeballs were bursting from my head on stalks.

“I felt pins and needles across my body. I was gasping for air and couldn’t move to get help.

“My spine is fused and I have ankylosis so I could not easily get to the door.

“It felt like an eternity, but after a few seconds I coughed it up and was shocked to see it was a piece of plastic.

Daily Echo: The ready-meal and the piece of plastic found in the mealThe ready-meal and the piece of plastic found in the meal (Image: NQ)“I thought I was going to die. It was so frightening - all made worse because I could not raise the alarm.”

This was the first time Angel-Rose has used Parsley Box as they were cheaper than alternative ready-meals.

After contacting Parsley Box, the 62-year-old was sent a letter of apology and told she would be refunded.

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She continued: “I think my life is worth more than a refund. If it had gone differently, I could be dead."

Angel-Rose is now calling for further compensation from Parsley Box.

In response to the issue, a spokesperson for Parsley Box said: “We would like to reiterate our sincere apologies to Ms Halo over any distress caused by this isolated incident.

"We carried out a full investigation with our accredited manufacturers as a matter of urgency and identified the source of the plastic."

The company said it had no other reports of similar issues.

The spokesperson continued: “We have refunded Ms Halo for the affected meal, and for all other meals she ordered from us. 

“We keep our processes under constant scrutiny to maintain the highest possible standards for our customers and we are very grateful to Ms Halo for bringing the matter to our attention.”