Trading Standards officers have taken a haul of £110,000 worth of dangerous and counterfeit toys off the market.
Alongside Greater Manchester Police and a brand representative, a visit was made to a retailer in Derby Street, Strangeways, after intelligence was received.
In recent months there has been wide proliferation of ‘squishy’ toys, modelled after the popular brand NeeDoh.
There has been a growing concern about the safety of these products, many of which do not come from legitimate source and may contain a range of additives and chemicals that pose a serious risk to the public.
Following a thorough inspection of the premises officers from Manchester City Council determined that a huge amount of goods on sale were potentially either unsafe and did not meet UK safety standards, or suspected of being counterfeit.
In total 16,500 items were seized, this included 4,017 ‘NeeDoh’ squishy toys, as well as more than 9,000 other squishy toys. Close to 1,000 other items were seized for Trademark offences, as well as more than 1,600 others for a range of safety infringements.
Previous seizures have found squishy toys that contain polyurethane, phthalates, VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and preservatives, which can pose health risks if ingested, inhaled, or in contact with skin. Other toy items do not meet rigorous UK safety standards and pose a choking hazard to young children, allow access to small batteries or are made of non-compliant materials.
During the visit, the retailer voluntarily surrendered the items for destruction.
Councillor Basat Sheikh said: “We take the safety of our residents extremely seriously and I hope this latest action sends that message in the strongest of terms.
“These items which, ultimately, are intended for children could potentially expose them to harmful forever chemicals, choking hazards or other potentially life-threatening risks.
“Retailers have a responsibility to the public to ensure the items on sale are safe and there are no excuses for failing to do so. It is wishful thinking to assume that the sale of unsafe goods will not see you caught out.
“I’m proud of this latest action and want to recognise the efforts of our Trading Standards Team and our colleagues in Greater Manchester police for their commitment to keeping us all safe.”
Items seized for destruction are not sent to landfill, and are disposed of by specialist companies
