A firm importing traditional souvenir London teddy bears that have been made in China has been fined £12,700 for selling “dangerous” toys near the Tower of London.
The classic teddies dressed as Beefeaters and Grenadier Guards had dodgy eye sockets which were not anchored properly and could be easily pulled off by small children, Tower Hamlets council’s trading standards officers found.
This could present “a choking hazard” which made them illegal for public sale under EU law. The sockets have to withstand a tension test required by safety standards, but failed.
The teddy bears were traced back to the east London firm importing them, B&S Souvenir Supplies in Leyton, which claimed the Chinese manufacturer told them they were “safety compliant”.
But Thames magistrates ruled on October 8 that the firm failed to carry out its own tests, breaching the 1987 Consumer Protection Act. The director was also ordered to pay £3,500 costs in addition to the company’s fine.
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