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A regional governor has been branded "idiotic" for posting a message on Twitter claiming he had found a worm in a salad he was served at the Kremlin.

Dmitry Zelenin's message was accompanied by a photograph showing a live earthworm on a plate of salad.

"That's an original way to show that the lettuce leaf is fresh," he said.

But the Kremlin was not amused, and top foreign policy adviser Sergei Prikhodko lambasted Mr Zelenin for "irresponsibility and stupidity".

"I should probably have advised my lawyer colleagues to add to the list of formulae for assessing governors' performance a provision for 'dismissal on the grounds of imbecility'," said Mr Prikhodko in comments carried by state news agency RIA Novosti.

"I would advise anyone who wants to invite Mr Zelenin as a guest to think hard before doing so."

Mr Zelenin's Twitter account no longer carries the message or the photograph of the salad, which was apparently served at a state dinner for German President Christian Wulff.

But Russian bloggers have picked up the story and have begun to publish images they say were taken from the original tweet.

Kremlin officials said the kitchens would be checked.

But Anatoly Galkin, the Kremlin's head chef, told Russian media the worm claims were "nonsense".

All dishes served in the Kremlin "go through a very careful examination" before reaching the table, he said.