Firms to face prosecution over dangerous toys
Firms which import dangerous toys into Britain will be prosecuted, they were warned today after US toy firm Mattel recalled 55,000 Chinese-made toys because of lead contamination fears.
“We will give people like Mattel the legal liability for importing toxic toys and if they import them, they will be prosecuted,” said Arlene McCarthy, chairman of the European Parliament’s Consumer Protection Committee.
The latest recall affects 12,000 'Go Diego Go' Animal Rescue Boat toys – imported by Fisher-Price – in the UK and Ireland. Surface paint on the toys may contain excessive levels of lead.
Another 38,000 of the Animal Rescue Boats were sold in the US and 5,500 in Canada. No other countries are affected by the recall, Mattel said.
Yesterday’s recall applies only to toys sold after June this year.
Ms McCarthy, Labour MEP for the North West, said the European Parliament had voted unanimously, four weeks ago, that it would not accept toxic toys.
“What we have been told is that many of these toys were shipped in May, June and July this year so they may be in warehouses,” she told GMTV.
“We have asked for urgent action to recall anything that has safety implications for children.”
Mattel recalled million of toys over the summer as some had unsafe levels of lead and others contained small, powerful magnets that could cause intestinal perforations if swallowed.
At the time of the worldwide recall of 18.2 million toys, Mattel chief executive Bob Eckert predicted more recalls as a result of stepped-up oversight and testing.
Tory MEP Syed Kamall warned people not to panic.
“While there will undoubtedly be some toys from China that may not be totally safe, we must put the latest recalls into context,” he said yesterday.
“Every year, 80% of the world’s toys are imported from China, yet only a fraction are recalled due to safety concerns.
“The European Union’s rapid alert system picks up a number of unsafe toys, which surely shows it is fulfilling its function.
“I believe the latest recalls confirm the EU is able to ensure child safety without a need for more European bureaucracy and further unjustified vilification of Chinese manufacturers.”
Lead is toxic if ingested by young children. Under current regulations, children’s products found to have more than 0.06% of lead accessible to users are subject to a recall.
