The UK authorities in the face of Trading Standards issued a mandatory recall for ‘potentially lethal’ teddy bears. They were sold from an online retailer.
This happened after the Moray Council was informed that a toddler was found with electrical wiring from the teddy bear wrapped around her neck. The Council goes on to say the toys are “the worst examples of unsafe toys that they have come across”.
The problem is with cute looking teddy bears which can light up. The toddler’s mother bought two such bears online.
Her daughter though was able to open the zip on the back of the teddy bears and pull out the electrical cord. The cord then wrapped around her neck. The girl also had managed to pull out “a significant quantity of loose stuffing” which is a choking hazard.
The Trading Standards officers also examined the teddy bears. They found no protection in place to prevent the choking hazard. The toys also contained numerous small parts. They lacked any labelling, including a required by law CE mark.
“Protecting children from dangerous toys is one of our highest priorities. And it was shocking when these teddy bears were brought to our notice. It would appear that because the toys were bought direct online, they had evaded all of the normal checks that would normally take place when goods are imported into the EU and the UK”, Peter Adamson, Trading Standards manger for Moray Council says in a statement.
Mr Adamson added: “Our officers are continuing their inquiries to try and determine where these toys came from.”
The advice from trading standards is to:
- Establish the identity of who you are dealing with. Are they within the EU or UK and therefore covered by product safety legislation?
- Do not be fooled by websites that are made to look like they are based in Britain by using .co.uk names
- Can you find warnings or positive reviews about the website online?
- Look for a permanent label on the toy which has the CE mark along with the address in the EU of the manufacturer or importer
- Even if you have followed all of the above advice, take a few minutes as a parent or guardian to carry out a physical inspection of the toy itself. Is it well made or are there obvious hazards or dangers?
