Warning fake toys may be being sold in Lincolnshire

It's feared the cost of living crisis may mean some people seek cheaper alternatives

Author: Andy MarshPublished 29th Dec 2022

We're hearing that parents across Lincolnshire and Newark should be cautious about presents that seem "too good to be true".

Lincolnshire County Council is warning about the dangers of fake toys.

There are fears the cost-of-living crisis is having an impact on people's ability to buy gifts this year and that could see them risking buying cheaper toys which may not be legitimate.

Toys that are made poorly or sourced questionably, should be avoided as these could pose a real danger to children

The most common problem is items having parts that can easily be pulled off and put in the mouth, posing a choking risk.

Buying these toys can be a "false economy"

We spoke to Emma Milligan from the Council's Trading Standards department:

"What we want to do is remind people that actually it's really important not to buy fake or counterfeit goods".

"It might be really tempting because they're a little bit cheaper but it's often a false economy."

"What we've been seeing is they're not being manufactured to the important compliance safety standards and can pose really serious risks to people's health."

We have some advice

Emma says: "Always check to see if a product's been recalled, buy from a legitimate trader."

"There's lots of tell tale signs to look out for but the most important is that if it seems too good to be true that's a sign it's a counterfeit product."

Counterfeit perfumes uncovered in the county.

"Within Lincolnshire we have spotted some goods that raise serious concerns."

"Some of those have been counterfeit perfumes where we've found they contain high levels of methanol."

"That can cause serious skin and eye irritation but it can also cause damage to the nervous system."

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