SWEET NEWS FOR CHOCOLATE LOVERS AS WISPA BARS RETURN

Fans have campaigned for the bubbly bar’s return since Cadbury stopped making it in 2003. Thousands posted entries on sites such as Facebook and MySpace – and now their wish has been granted.

Cadbury said 20 million Wispas were sold during a seven-week trial run last year, proving it still had a place in chocolate lovers’ hearts. Spokesman Tony Bilsborough said: “Wispa is a true icon. We brought it back temporarily to see if the desire was genuine, but fans are still rallying so we took the decision to bring it back for good.”

He added: “We know others have looked at Wispa and tried to copy its success by bringing back other brands – but we don’t believe anyone has managed to recreate the same excitement.”

Wispa was first brought out in 1981 for a trial in the North-East with the slogan “Bite it and Believe It”. It was seen as a rival to Nestle’s Aero.

The original bar was followed by Wispa Gold, with a caramel filling, in 1995, Wispa Bite, with a caramel and biscuit filling, in 2000, and by coffee-flavoured Wispaccino and Wispa Mint. Sales began to fall in the 1990s and Wispas went out of production in 2003.

Famous faces who advertised them on television included Victoria Wood and Julie Walters and Yes Minister stars Paul Eddington and Nigel Hawthorne.

Wispas will return to shops on October 6, priced 45p. They originally cost 16p.