Imitation guns which fire projectiles and race-cars containing cigarette lighters are among dozens of dodgy Christmas toys pulled off the shelves.
Inspectors from the New South Wales Department of Fair Trading have conducted a holiday blitz across hundreds of stores in the lead-up to Christmas.
Of the products inspected, 41 failed safety tests, with 31 of those posing a choking hazard to young children.
Imitation guns (pictured) which fire projectiles and race-cars containing cigarette lighters are among dozens of dodgy Christmas toys pulled off the shelves
Inspectors from the New South Wales Department of Fair Trading have conducted a holiday blitz across hundreds of stores in the lead-up to Christmas (pictured is a non-compliant toy)
Of the products inspected, 41 failed safety tests, with 31 of those posing a choking hazard to young children (pictured is a non-compliant toy)
Minister for Better Regulation Matt Kean warned parents that kids playing with dangerous non-compliant toys were in serious danger (pictured is a non-compliant toy)
Minister for Better Regulation Matt Kean warned parents that kids playing with dangerous non-compliant toys were in serious danger.
‘It would take mere minutes for a small child to choke on one of these tiny parts – but thanks to Fair Trading these toys are no longer on sale,’ he said.
‘These dodgy toys have been removed from stores and Fair Trading will take immediate action against those traders.’
‘It would take mere minutes for a small child to choke on one of these tiny parts – but thanks to Fair Trading these toys are no longer on sale,’ he said (pictured is a banned toy-like cigarette lighter)
Pictured, left, are two banned toy-like cigarette lighters, and right, a banned ‘yo-yo water ball’
‘These dodgy toys have been removed from stores and Fair Trading will take immediate action against those traders,’ said Mr Kean (pictured is a non-compliant toy)
Mr Kean urged parents to be careful of toys containing small parts which can be broken off by kids and swallowed.
Among the toys found in the pre-Christmas sweep were toy-like novelty cigarette lighters and yo-yo water balls.
Lighters designed to appear like toys are permanently banned from sale, as are toys intended to be thrown and returned to the hand like ‘yo-yo water balls’.
Pictured, left, is a toy that fires projectiles, and right, a toy which poses a choking hazard
Mr Kean urged parents to be careful of toys containing small parts which can be broken off by kids and swallowed (pictured is a non-compliant toy)
Among the toys found in the pre-Christmas sweep were toy-like novelty cigarette lighters and yo-yo water balls (pictured is a non-compliant toy)
The bulk of the non-compliant toys were aimed at children under three, and advised those with potentially dangerous toys to dispose of them immediately.
People who have inadvertently purchased one of the banned toys can return them to the retailer for a full refund.
Mr Kean said individuals caught selling dangerous toys face maximum fines of $220,000, and companies can face fines of up to $1.1 million.
Pictured, left, and right, are two non-compliant toys which pose a serious choking hazard
The bulk of the non-compliant toys were aimed at children under three (pictured is a non-compliant toy)
People who have inadvertently purchased one of the banned toys can return them to the retailer for a full refund (pictured is a non-compliant toy)
‘We’ll come down hard on any trader putting kids at risk through the sale of these shonky products,’ Mr Kean said.
‘Keeping kids safe this Christmas is our number one priority.’
NSW Fair Trading Consumer Protection Officers checked 1331 sites and inspected 903 traders, and examined 10,727 individual product lines.
Of those 903 traders, 846 were found to be satisfactory, while 57 were selling products which warranted further investigation.
Pictured, left, and right, are two non-compliant toys which pose a serious choking hazard