Parents are being warned about the safety of an advent calendar containing fidget toys, which has been on sale in North Lanarkshire.
Our Trading Standards officers are advising anyone who has bought the calendar not to give it to children and to return it the retailer immediately.
Testing of the toys inside the advent calendar showed excessive amounts of bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), a chemical used during the manufacturing process to soften plastic. This can harm the health of children, causing possible damage to their reproductive system.
The product also failed to identify the manufacturer or importers’ details, and it does not meet the requirements of the Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011, which are in place to ensure only safe toys are available to purchase within the UK.
“The lack of manufacturer and importer details on this calendar raised concern with our Trading Standards team, and testing of the product highlighted significant safety concerns,” said Councillor Michael McPake, Convener of the Environment and Transportation Committee.
“Thanks to the vigilance of our officers, we are taking action to remove these calendars from sale and I would ask the public to share this information with anyone who might have bought one of these calendars.
“Our advice is don’t open them or let children play with the toys inside, and return the calendar to the retailer where you bought it. You are entitled to a full refund.”
All toys sold by retailers in the UK must be safe and importers must test the toys to make sure they meet safety requirements before selling them.
If you are buying a toy, you should check products are CE or UKCA marked AND have an address of the UK importer or manufacturer. The UK address holder has legal responsibility for the safety of the product.
For further toy safety information visit Toys | Business Companion.
Businesses who are selling or have sold Fidget Toy Advent Calendars can seek free confidential business advice from Trading Standards at tradingstandards@northlan.gov.uk