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Hundreds of fake 'squishy dumpling' toys seized

Becky YeomansNorth West
News imageBlackpool Council Trading Standards A toy that looks like a large dumpling in pink and yellow with big black eyes and a small smiling mouth, beside a brown plastic tub that looks like a bamboo steamer, and a cardboard sleeveBlackpool Council Trading Standards
Many of the counterfeit toys - including copies of NeeDohs - contain harmful solvents, Blackpool Council said

Hundreds of hazardous counterfeit toys have been seized in raids on three shops in Lancashire.

Blackpool Council's trading standards team uncovered 372 of the products including copies of popular squeezable toys like NeeDohs, which have gone viral on social media.

Scores of the counterfeits have already been seized around the town containing harmful solvents or packaged without safety warnings or transparency about the materials used, the council said.

Councillor Dave Flanagan, cabinet member for public protection, said: "If you give a child a toy, you want to know they can play happily and safely with it - not be at risk of coming to harm."

Laboratory tests on similar items found they contained toxic substances including solvents and formaldehyde.

These can cause skin irritation, nausea, headaches or breathing problems, or pose fire risks.

It comes after the government issued an urgent safety warnings over the so-called "squishy dumplings".

News imageBlackpool Council Trading Standards A pile of clear plastic bags full of the fake toys and their packagingBlackpool Council Trading Standards
Trading standards have removed 372 products from three shops in recent weeks

Flanagan continued: "The items our team have seized might seem to be budget-friendly, or brightly coloured and appealing to young children, but they simply aren't worth the risk.

"They've found plastic items with hazardous liquids that could ooze out and be ingested by children or pets.

"These, paired with the online trends encouraging children to microwave toys, can pose genuine, serious dangers.

Shoppers are being urged to be wary of counterfeit products by:

  • Checking packaging carefully
  • Buying from a trusted retailer
  • Being wary of products sold at very low prices
  • Being suspicious if a toy has a strong or unusual smell

Under UK law, toys should hold a CE or UKCA quality mark and have the name and address of the supplier in the UK or EU on the packaging.

Packaging should also include any usage warnings, age restrictions and instructions, all printed in English and without spelling errors.

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