Council warns public about potentially toxic toys

A council has issued a safety alert to consumers and businesses following the seizure of potentially toxic "squishy" toys.

Northumberland County Council said copies of Squishy Dumplings and NeeDoh toys lacked legally-required traceability information which was vital to show the toys complied with UK safety standards.

Similar toys around the country have been found to contain toxic chemicals and high levels of Benzene, which is carcinogenic.

The council's cabinet member for public safety Gordon Stewart urged parents to be vigilant and to make sure they were buying genuine toys.

"While these cheaper 'squishy' toys may look harmless, they could pose a hidden risk to children," he said.

"Our Trading Standards officers are currently visiting stores across the county to ensure retailers remove these items from shelves."

The council said the potentially dangerous toys were unbranded and had not gone through the usual safety checks.

Trading Standards has advised people to check any toy they buy bears the name and address of a UK-based importer or EU-based manufacturer.

They should also have a mandatory "CE" or "UKCA" marking, which shows the toy has passed stringent safety legislation.

Squishy Dumplings became a viral craze after becoming popular on social media.

They are shaped like bao buns and part of their appeal is collecting ultra-rare shiny versions.

They also became the focus of a dangerous social media trend which involved heating the toys in a microwave to make them softer.

This led to some instances of the toys bursting or leaking and causing burns to children, including 10-year-old Bella whose mother feared she could be scarred for life after her face was scolded.

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