More than 30 different children's toys sold in the UK have been recalled amid fears that sand from China used in them may be contaminated with asbestos. Retailers including M&S, Tesco, Primark, Matalan, Asda, Amazon and eBay have recalled products such as kids' candle-making kits, stretchy rubber toys and coloured sand.
The alarm was first raised in Australia at the end of last year, when 69 schools were forced to close after coloured play sand was found to contain the cancer-causing substance. A UK parent subsequently sent samples of sand bought at Hobbycraft to a testing lab, allegedly finding traces of asbestos fibres. Investigations then revealed traces of asbestos in numerous products sold across the UK.
Minister for Product Safety Kate Dearden said: “It is staggering toys are being sold with asbestos, and I know how concerning this will be for parents. We’re taking action with new measures to strengthen consumer protection and clamp down on irresponsible sellers.” The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) advised consumers who own any of the recalled products to stop using them immediately and store them securely before returning to the place of purchase.
Consumer group Which? said the number of recalls in the last three months indicated a serious failure in safety checks and called for stronger government action. Hobbycraft, which initially recalled affected products, said it had removed all sand-based items from sale and was working closely with suppliers and regulators to ensure safety standards are met.
