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Half a million potentially dangerous ‘squishy’ toys have been seized at Heathrow Airport in just two months, it has been revealed.
Trading Standards officers from Hillingdon Council have stopped 500,000 of the toys — which look like dumplings — from entering the UK after they exploded in popularity this year.
Children across the country have been trying to get their hands on the soft toys, prompting safety warnings from councils over the potential health and safety risks linked to a rise in counterfeit and replica versions.
A spokesperson for Hillingdon Council said: "Heathrow Airport is a gateway for goods entering the UK, and we’re proud to play a leading role in protecting consumers.
“As part of this work, our Trading Standards officers have been carrying out targeted checks on “squishy” toys at Heathrow.
“In the past two months, the council has seized 500,000 squishy toys. Many are similar in design and lack proper labelling and traceability information.”
Hillingdon Council officers have been undertaking assessments of the toys.
Some were found to have a strong chemical smell, with further tests needed to determine the cause of this.
While most samples complied with toy safety requirements, with the exception of labelling defects, some did not meet the expected microbiological standards in the liquid contained in the toy.
This means that some of the products pose a safety risk if the toy ruptures and the liquid is exposed.
There are also copyright infringements on some of the toys, such as Starbucks-branded cubes, which were not manufactured or endorsed by Starbucks.
The council confirmed these were seized during a recent shop inspection in the borough.
“The main issue is the absence of clear details of a responsible UK-based business and the correct UKCA or CE safety markings, making it hard to verify compliance and take action,” the spokesperson added.
“Products without this information may not meet the required safety standards and should be handled with care. If damage or leaking occurs, they should not be used and any liquid released should be washed off immediately.”