Retailer fined £3,350 for sale of unsafe baby's rattle

02-MAR-09

 

A cut-price store has been fined £3,350 after unsafe toys were found on sale in a Tyneside branch.

Poundworld Retail Limited, which has 63 stores in the North of England, faced prosecution under the Consumer Protection Act 1987 at North Shields Magistrates on February 26.

The court heard that trading standards received a complaint from a member of the public who had purchased a pushchair rattle, made up of four clown figures on an elasticated string, for her granddaughter from the Poundworld store in The Beacon Centre, North Shields.

Within a few hours of playing with the rattle it had fallen to pieces.

Officer from North Tyneside Council's trading standards officer visited the store and purchase several of these rattles.

When tested at the trading standards test laboratory these rattles produced a number of small parts, which could potentially cause a young child to choke. The cords used on the rattles also posed a strangulation risk to such children magistrates were told.

The rattles were not marked with the correct warning for such toys.

The court was told Poundworld did not carry out any independent testing on these toys when they were imported and relied on their contract with their suppliers that these toys were safe.

The company admitted the offence and was fined £3,350 with costs of £2,244.75 plus a £15 surcharge giving a total of £5,609.75.

The court also heard Poundworld had been convicted of a similar offence in September 2008.

Colin MacDonald, North Tyneside's Consumer Protection Group Manager said: "This case was of particular concern to our service as these rattles were intended for small children as they were labelled as being for ages 3 months and up.

"This highlights the need for companies to be vigilant when importing toys and to conduct their own independent testing when goods arrive in this country".

Issued by: Jeanette Hedley