An investigation is under way after a live mouse was found inside a little girl’s Christmas present when her mum opened the box to wrap the gift.

The mouse escaped from the packaging as soon as mum Tracy Miskelly (24) opened the box to gift wrap the £127 Dareway electric scooter she had bought for her five-year-old daughter Katrina.

Tracy was about to lift the battery-powered scooter out of the cardboard container when the creature scurried out of the packaging and dashed straight under her bed, at her home in Newtownards, Co Down.

She jumped on to the bed in panic and was so frightened that her screams could be heard in the street outside.

Now Tracy has made an official complaint to supplier Argos and they have promised an investigation to see how the unwanted extra gift managed to get inside the packaging.

The mum-of-one said: “This really ruined our Christmas and left Katrina in tears on Christmas Day. She was really terrified when she realised there was a mouse on the loose inside the house and was in a terrible state.”

A series of mouse traps were placed throughout the house and the rodent was eventually located 48 hours later in Tracy’s bedroom.

Mum Tracy was also annoyed because the scooter she ordered was pink and purple — Katrina’s favourite colours — but the one which arrived was silver grey and the replacement did not arrive until December 30, which meant Katrina had to wait five days to open her Christmas present. She received a refund of her £5.80 delivery charge plus a £5 gift voucher, which she called “an insult”.

An Argos spokesperson said yesterday: “This is regrettable and we will look into this matter.”