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. Over the past three months, products ranging from candle-making kits to stretchy rubber toys have been withdrawn by retailers including Tesco, Primark, Matalan and M&S.
Asbestos can cause cancer if inhaled, and its sale is prohibited in the UK. The affected toys are believed to contain sand from Chinese mines where asbestos fibres occur naturally and labelling rules are less rigorous. The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) issued an advisory note for traders on reliable testing methods after the initial Hobbycraft recall in January.
Consumer group Which? said the number of recalls pointed to a serious failure in safety checks. Sue Davies, Which?'s head of consumer protection policy, called on the OPSS to take action and examine whether toys containing asbestos are being sold on online marketplaces with limited regulation.
Traders have questioned the lab testing methods commonly used, as they failed to detect small quantities of asbestos. Products certified as safe were found contaminated when tested using more reliable methods. 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 failing to act after the Australian recalls. Laurie Kazan-Allen of the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat said it took a Guardian article to force UK authorities to engage with the threat. Post-Brexit laws have removed government powers to ban products without scientific evidence, placing the onus on exporters and retailers to test goods.
Product safety minister Kate Dearden said it was staggering toys were being sold with asbestos, and announced new measures to strengthen consumer protection. Recalled items include Smyths toys dig products, HTI Toys Stretcherz, Kids Create Sand Art Kit, and several others sold via eBay, Amazon, and AliBaba.
