London shoppers are being warned after 100 dangerous fake Labubus were seized in raids on West End shops.
The counterfeit dolls were found to be death traps for toddlers – with eyes that pop out and feet that fall off, posing a serious choking hazard.
Westminster Council Trading Standards officers swooped on Essentials in Brewer Street, Soho and Snack n Gifts in Oxford Street, where the fakes were openly sold as genuine Labubus.
The Chinese knock-offs were poorly made and most were missing safety labels.
The toys – nicknamed “Lafufus” – were being sold for around £20 each in the central London shops.
Real Labubus typically sell for between £17.50 and £50, but their popularity has seen them fetch hundreds of pounds on the resale market.
Some UK retailers have stopped trading the toys after skyrocketing demand led to safety concerns following long queues and reports of customers fighting to get their hands on them.
Westminster Council leader Adam Hug warned: “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.”
It is the first time dodgy toys have been seized in Westminster, but officers believe plenty more are still on sale.
The council vowed to crack down on retailers selling dangerous fakes.
Mr Hug added: “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.
“Our job is to ensure shoppers in Westminster get what they pay for and dangerous items get taken off the streets.”
It comes as after brazen Soho shopkeepers were caught selling vapes disguised as children’s toy cups and packed with illegal levels of nicotine.
The shocking find was part of a massive £35,000 haul uncovered by the council’s Trading Standards team and police in a joint raid last month.
