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More than 1,700 'unsafe' toys seized in shop raids

Eleanor MaslinEast Yorkshire and Lincolnshire
News imageNorth East Lincolnshire Council The back of a light and dark pink coloured furry toy with the battery pack exposed, showing green, white and yellow wires. It lies on a table top next to a clear plastic bag marked with the word 'Evidence'.North East Lincolnshire Council
Some of the seized toys were found to have potentially unsafe battery storage and wiring

More than 1,700 unsafe action figures, squishy toys and stuffed teddies have been seized from shops across North East Lincolnshire.

The council said the children's toys were removed from stores in the area after being deemed unsafe or confirmed to be fake.

Issues with the toys included missing safety marks, unsafe battery storage, poor construction or electrical wiring and choking hazards, the authority said.

James Sawkins, portfolio holder for safer and stronger communities at North East Lincolnshire Council (NELC), said: "It's quite surprising just how many unsafe toys have been seized."

Several of the items seized were squishy toys, which comes after the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) issued a national recall earlier this year for a brand of toy known as Squeezy Dumpling.

NELC said the inspections which led to the seizures took place over several weeks, with 750 toys and products seized during enforcement activity across the Cleethorpes Armed Forces weekend of 26-28 June.

News imageNorth East Lincolnshire Council One woman and two men are standing in front of shelves full of plastic clear bags with colourful toys in them. The woman on the left has blonde shoulder length hair and is wearing a navy blue T-shirt. The man in the middle is bald with a dark moustache and beard and is wearing black-rimmed clear glasses, a lanyard and light blue shirt and jeans. The man on the right has short brown hair, is also wearing a lanyard and a navy top.North East Lincolnshire Council
Trading Standards officers said they were surprised by the number of counterfeit or dangerous toys they had recovered

NELC said the items confiscated were in breach of the Toy (Safety) Regulations 2011 which state that all toys must clearly display:

  • Manufacturer information (including a registered trademark where appropriate)
  • Importer information
  • Product ID
  • Compliance marks (including the CE mark)
  • Safety warnings

Sawkins said: "If a toy is cheaper than usual, it's very likely it hasn't undergone the same safety testing that a reputable company would do on their products, to ensure they are safe for children to play with."

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