Yes they were, as were peanut M & Ms (or something very similar) and there were toffee centred ones too. Might have been spelled as Treets though, can't really remember.
I remember treets (late 70's-early 80's in the peanut variety in an orange bag (i think) I know these later became peanut M&M's with a mutlicoloured shell, Treets had a brown shell...I also remeber 'Chocolate lick' brought in 'quarters' in a jar at the newsagent a few months before M&M's came about...it was definately crushed m&m's....