A Manchester firm was caught selling unsafe children’s toys - including a doll containing dangerous levels of chemicals.
Trading standards officers seized products from Bestrade Manchester Limited during a routine annual inspection earlier this year.
Test results of samples taken from items at the store in Derby Street, Cheetham Hill, proved to be highly disturbing.
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A crawling baby toy was found to have unsafe levels of phthalates – chemicals which can be harmful if ingested over a long period of time. Side-effects of phthalate exposure can include onset of childhood asthma and hormone imbalances.
Children were also easily able to get into the battery compartment of a musical toy dog sold by the company.
Safety regulations stipulate that batteries should not be accessed without the use of a tool, to prevent electrochemical burns should they be touched or ingested.
Problems were also found with plastic packaging which was too thin, posing a possible risk of asphyxiation.
The company and its director Raghbir Singh Bhatia have both been fined after pleading guilty to the offences at Manchester Magistrates' Court on Thursday (December 2).
Bhatia, 40, of Windsor Road, Prestwich, was also disqualified from being a director of a company for three years.
Councillor Luthfur Rahman, deputy leader of Manchester City Council said: “The toys being sold by this trader fell well short of safety standards. These are in place not for the sake of bureaucracy, but for the sake of a child’s safety.
“When corners are cut, and products sold which are clearly unsafe that risk is being passed directly on to the consumer and could ultimately result in a tragedy.
"In spite of facing previous prosecution it seemed this company had not learned its lessons.
“Results like this are down to the hard work of our enforcement officers and our legal team and I’m grateful for their efforts in securing this prosecution.”
Bestrade Manchester Limited was fined £9,000, ordered to pay costs of £1,171 and a victim surcharge of £181.
Bhatia was fined £2,400, ordered to pay costs of £1,151 and a victim surcharge of £181.
Both Bhatia and his firm have previously been prosecuted for safety and trade marks offences.
