A complaint from a Westminster mother about a toxic smell coming from her daughter's toy has led trading standards officers to raid a shop in Victoria and seize almost 200 counterfeit "squishy" toys, some carrying fake branding from Starbucks, McDonald's, Sprite and Coca-Cola. The mother's eight-year-old daughter had complained of a foul chemical smell coming from a toy branded a "NeeDoh nice cube." The squishy toys, shaped like dumplings, have become the subject of a TikTok craze in which children heat them in microwaves in the belief this makes them more "squishable"; in some cases the toys have exploded and burned children. Hundreds of the toys have been recalled for safety checks, with trading standards urging consumers to be cautious when purchasing them and to avoid any products with a strong chemical smell.
Cllr Caroline Sargent, Deputy Leader of Westminster City Council and Cabinet Member for Enforcement, said:
"Thanks to a call from one quick-thinking mum, we were able to take a haul of these fake and potentially unsafe toys off the streets. The pirates see easy money in copy-catting the craze toy of the moment. These toys often look like food and contain unknown chemicals which could also pose a real risk to young children as well. We will keep doing our utmost to squash the fake squishy trade."
Trading standards officers say Westminster is now awash with fakes that give off an unpleasant chemical smell and may contain dangerous chemicals that can cause injury or illness.
You can read Tom Foot's article for the Westminster Extra in full here.
