MORE than 100 fake Labubu soft toys have been seized from shops in Elgin as consumers are urged to check packaging for signs that the products are counterfeit.
Seized by Moray Council‘s trading standards team, the local authority said the toys are ‘poor quality’ copies of the viral dolls that have become a social media craze.
The council added that the toys pose ‘serious safety risks’ to kids, with them not having gone through proper safety testing and don’t meet UK toy safety standards. Officers found that many of the toys had small parts that could easily come off, especially the plastic hands and feet, which could cause choking.
Some also had poor stitching and exposed stuffing, increasing the risk of suffocation. Some fake toys seized across the country have also been found to contain dangerous chemicals, posing a significant health risk.
Consumers are now being urged to inspect the packaging to determine whether or not the dolls are counterfeit. This includes looking out for CE or UKCA safety mark on the label; a name and address of a UK or EU supplier; and a holographic Pop Mart sticker, a QR code linking to the official website, and a UV stamp.
Councillor David Gordon, chair of the planning and regulatory services committee, said, “There are significant safety concerns associated with these fake toys. Toy safety regulations are there to protect children from the dangers associated with toys which haven’t been properly tested to ensure they are safe from risks like harmful chemicals and choking hazards. Shops who choose to ignore these risks and sell these types of unsafe toys can expect to have them seized.”
