More than 30 children's toys have been recalled in the UK after the Guardian revealed that play sand sold by Hobbycraft was contaminated with asbestos. The affected products include candle-making kits, stretchy rubber toys, and sand art kits sold by retailers such as Tesco, Primark, Matalan, and M&S.
Asbestos, which can cause cancer if inhaled, is prohibited in any quantity in UK products. The contamination is believed to originate from sand sourced from Chinese mines where asbestos fibres occur naturally and labelling rules are less rigorous.
In January, Hobbycraft withdrew its Giant Box of Craft kits after a customer alerted it to asbestos traces. The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) subsequently issued an advisory note on testing methods, leading to a surge in lab requests from manufacturers and retailers.
Consumer group Which? criticised the failure in safety checks, calling on the OPSS to ensure proper testing and examine online marketplaces where regulation is limited. Traders have questioned common lab testing methods, which failed to detect small asbestos quantities, while more reliable tests identified contamination.
Contaminated play sand had already prompted recalls and school closures in Australia and New Zealand in November, but similar products remained on sale in the UK and Europe. Campaigners criticised the UK government for not acting sooner, noting that post-Brexit laws require companies to test goods and inform authorities if asbestos is found.
Product Safety Minister Kate Dearden said the government is taking action with new measures to strengthen consumer protection and clamp down on irresponsible sellers. Recalled products include the Galt Nature Craft Kit, Smyths toys, HTI Toys Stretcherz, and various sand art kits sold via eBay, Amazon, and AliBaba.
