WHEN Darlington housewife Susan Leak found a perfectly spherical egg among her shopping, she was shell-shocked.

The 48-year-old has banned her family from cracking the rare find, said to be a sign of good luck.

It has been stored in a plastic container for safe-keeping, but Mrs Leak is unsure what will become of the egg.

She said: “My husband, Chris, bought it in a box of 15 Smart Price eggs from Asda, I have never seen anything like it.

“It looks just like a ping-pong ball, except it is egg-coloured.

“We did some Googling and realised it is very rare, we read a story about a hotel chef who found one.

“But this egg is definitely not going to be eaten, I am guarding it with my life.

“I would be absolutely devastated if it got broken.”

The family has been indulging in a series of egg-cellent puns since making the discovery, with Mr Leak teasing his wife that she was ‘too chicken’ to call The Northern Echo and tell the story.