A warning has been issued after one particular soft toy available at Hull Fair was found to be dangerous.
More than 400 ‘Huggy Wuggy’ and ‘Huggy Wuggy Baby Long Legs’ were seized from the fair, but there are concerns that some fair-goers will have already taken the toys home.
Poor stitching on the seams of the toys means stuffing could come out and on the ‘Baby Long Legs’ sharp wires could be exposed, putting children at risk of suffocation and injury.
Anyone who has one of the affected toys should immediately take it away from their children and contact national Citizen’s Advice Consumer Service – they will then liaise with Trading Standards.
Chris Wilson, Trading Standards Officer at Hull City Council, said:
“Hull Fair is a local institution and it’s only right that people should be able to enjoy the fair and toys brought back from there safely.
“We have submitted samples of these toys so that further tests can be carried out, but it’s already clear even without the results of those that these toys are not safe.
“The poor stitching has enough space for a finger to fit through and the seams are very weak. A small child could easily get access to the filling inside, presenting a significant choking hazard. We’ve identified these products as presenting a high risk of suffocation.
“Additionally, the ‘Baby Long Legs’ version of the toy is constructed with sharp wire which could pierce the skin.
“The toys aren’t correctly labelled and they fall short of the legal safe requirements placed on toys by the Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011.
“Anyone who acquired either toy at Hull Fair should ensure it is removed from their children immediately and contact Citizen’s Advice in the first instance. Any colour variation could be affected, not just those in the photos”.
Contact Citizen’s Advice Consumer Service on: 0808 223 1133 or visit the website to make a report: https://ssl.datamotion.com/form.aspx?co=3438&frm=general&to=flare.fromforms
