No, a woman was not arrested for 'trying on' tampons in Walmart

This year, Now8News has also falsely reported than a man was arrested for having sex with a pig in Walmart

The story of a woman arrested after “trying on” a tampon in the middle of a supermarket in Arkansas is one of the most-shared news stories in the world right now. Just one problem – it’s not true.

According to reports a 44-year-old woman named as Cheryl Woolery was arrested last week after leaving "five used bloody tampons" in the aisles of Walmart, an American supermarket chain.

"I was stocking the deodorants which is right next to the isle where the feminine hygiene products are kept," Walmart employee ‘Rena Rice’ was quoted by Now8News as saying.

"When I walked past the aisle this crazy out of her mind lady was in, I couldn’t believe what I saw. I mean really, there were five used bloody tampons on the ground that she had already tried on! I caught her trying to stick a sanitary pad on her underwear. That’s when I radioed for security."

The story claims Ms Woolery was then arrested, and reportedly told police that a person should be able to "try on tampons just like you try on clothes in the dressing room, to make sure they fit".

The - literally - incredible tale has been shared hundreds of thousands of times - according to the social listening tool Newswhip was the most viral article in the world Saturday.

But as myth-busting site Snopes notes, the story was first reported on Now8News, which is not a legitimate news site. This year, Now8News has also falsely reported than a man was arrested for having sex with a pig in Walmart, and that aborted fetuses were used in making Chicken McNuggets. Equally the mugshot of Ms Woolery pictured on the site was taken from a gallery of arrest photos on The Smoking Gun and is at least five years old.