A SALMONELLA alert has been issued after it was confirmed that the bug had been found in some Turkish sweets.

Environmental services departments have now contacted all shops in the area which might sell Helva sweets to make sure they are withdrawn from sale.

And today local residents who have bought the sweets were urged to dispose of them safely.

Helva, which is made from crushed sesame seeds and syrup, is not believed to be sold by large retailers.

Bury Council's public protection spokesman, Cllr Pam Walker, said: "It would seem that there only appears to be a problem with Turkish helva products made between September 2000 and January 2001.

"However, because the shelf life of these products is at least a year, there is a possibility that they may still be in shops or in people's homes."