Dangerous ‘baby dummy holders’ found online by West Sussex Trading Standards
"Using any one of these holders could have had fatal consequences".
An investigation by West Sussex Trading Standards has found dangerous 'baby dummy holders' are being sold online.
Officers bought nine types of holder from market place sites and sent them for safety testing.
All failed the tests, which Trading Standards officers say poses either a serious risk of strangulation or choking.
They reportedly had excessively long chords which meant a baby could potentially wrap it around their neck and suffocate.
The beads on some of the chords are also said to have shattered easily and the small pieces could choke a young child.
The safety standard for these products sets out a maximum chord length of 220mm, but those that failed had chord lengths up to 325mm.
Customers are being urged to only buy recognised brands from known UK sellers.
Peter Aston, West Sussex Trading Standards team manager, said:
"Using any one of these holders could have had fatal consequences and as a result, we are taking this investigation incredibly seriously.
"The market place sites are de-listing the products and enquiries are continuing to establish if the sellers have a physical presence in the UK.
"Where this is the case, a formal investigation will take place.
"However in a number of cases it appears the product is coming straight from China.
"In this situation, whilst the product can be de-listed by the market place site, liability falls with the Chinese manufacturer rather than the market place site.
"As this is clearly a national issue, we are sharing our findings with the Office for Product Safety and Standards for their consideration."
Meanwhile Deborah Urquhart, West Sussex County Council cabinet member for environment, said:
"These are worrying results and the consequences of using any one of these holders could have been devastating.
"I would urge residents to only buy from trusted, recognised brands when purchasing products online."
Anyone who thinks they have purchased an unsafe product is asked to contact Trading Standards online or via Citizens Advice on 03454 04 05 06.