Hobbycraft has removed bottles of children's play sand from sale after a parent discovered they contained asbestos. The craft retailer took action following tests by an accredited laboratory that found traces of fibrous tremolite asbestos in three colours of sand from its Giant Box of Craft arts kit.
The parent, who wished to remain anonymous, raised concerns after her children used the sand at a party. She sent samples for testing, which confirmed the presence of asbestos fibres in yellow, green and pink sand. Asbestos can cause cancer if inhaled, though the risk to children who played with the sand is thought to be low.
Hobbycraft declined to issue a formal recall, stating that no UK authority had warned of a risk and there was no evidence of harm. A spokesperson said: 'As a precaution, we have voluntarily removed the product from sale while we carry out independent testing.' However, a government source criticised the response, saying: 'There's no good reason why Hobbycraft shouldn't recall this themselves, given the evidence.'
The incident highlights gaps in post-Brexit product safety laws. The 'precautionary principle', which allowed authorities to restrict products suspected of posing a serious health threat without scientific proof, was removed when legislation was redrafted. Campaigners, including the British Occupational Hygiene Society, have called for its reinstatement.
Prof Kevin Bampton, CEO of the British Occupational Hygiene Society, said: 'This issue should be a wake-up call for regulatory change, so governments can be proactive, act fast and protect human health from risks before they protect profit.' The affected products were manufactured in China, where items containing less than 5% asbestos can be labelled asbestos-free, whereas UK law states there is no safe limit for exposure.
