A WARNING has been issued after “dangerous Christmas presents” were found for sale online.

Toys for toddlers and babies were found to pose choking hazards after being inspected by Trading Standards.

As part of an investigation focussing on toys aimed at children aged under three, officers purchased items from online selling platforms and sent seven products for safety testing.

Five failed to meet UK safety standards for toys and two were incorrectly labelled.

The toys included a teething ring for toddlers, a soft toy, a sensory chew necklace, a baby gym and a toy radio.

All of these toys either had long cords which posed a choking hazard or had small detachable parts which could have been swallowed by a small child.

Three of the products were from UK sellers who have either arranged recalls or are in the process of doing so. The other two came directly from China.

West Sussex Trading Standards is calling on people to only buy toys from well-know, reputable sellers after discovering the dangerous products.

Peter Aston, West Sussex Trading Standards Team Manager, said: “The results of this investigation are concerning. We know many Christmas shoppers have turned to online marketplace sites this year because of the COVID-19 restrictions.

“Whilst we targeted toys that looked like they may fail testing from the descriptions and pictures, it highlights the dangers of “bargains” being sold through online marketplaces.

“The problems we have found are why we are calling for a change in the law to make online marketplaces have greater liability for the products they list - there are just too many unsafe products available through these marketplace sites.”

Deborah Urquhart, West Sussex County Council Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “The consequences of buying one of these toys as a Christmas present for a young child could be very serious indeed.

“Whilst I appreciate Christmas shopping has been more difficult this year, I would strongly urge all West Sussex residents to shop local if you can safely do so or only buy from well-known, reputable sellers and avoid purchasing cheap toys from marketplace sites. If the price of a Christmas present sounds too good to be true – it probably is.”

Anyone who thinks they have been a victim of unfair trading practice should contact Trading Standards via Citizens Advice on 08082231133 or online via www.westsussex.gov.uk/tsreport.