Fake Labubu dolls – tipped to be a best-selling toy this Christmas – have been seized amid warnings they could pose a potentially fatal choking hazard
Fake Labubu dolls – tipped to be a best-selling toy this Christmas – have been seized amid warnings they could pose a potentially fatal choking hazard for young children.
Trading Standards officers found the 100 counterfeit dolls, dubbed Lafufus, on sale for around £20 during a raid of two shops in London’s West End – Essentials in Brewer Street, Soho, and Snack N Gifts in Oxford Street.
On close examination they were found to have feet that easily detached and eyes that popped out, Westminster City Council said. The choking hazard posed to young children made them an offence under toy safety regulations, the council said. Most of the Chinese-manufactured items discovered had missing or non-compliant labelling. Thousands of counterfeit Labubu dolls being seized already this year from shops across the country.
The genuine dolls – which can retail for hundreds of pounds – are identified by their furry monster-like appearance and have been made popular by Chinese toymaker Pop Mart and promoted by celebrities across the globe.
The counterfeit dolls often have twisted limbs, misshapen heads or the incorrect number of teeth – real Labubus have nine.
Westminster City Council leader Adam Hug warned that the dolls could prove an expensive and even fatal error. Mr Hug said: “There is a long history of counterfeiters trying to make a quick profit from the fad toy of the moment, but the Labubu fakes we found could prove a costly error.
“They are badly made and, like all counterfeits, have a habit of falling to pieces quite quickly. However, the real danger is the fact the eyes and feet come off with little effort – if a toddler picks them up and swallows them, the results could be fatal. Our job is to ensure shoppers in Westminster get what they pay for and dangerous items get taken off the streets.”
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