2 hours ago
4
Fake Labubu dolls accounted for 90% of counterfeit toys seized at the UK border this year, with many found to contain banned chemicals or pose choking hazards.
Border officials intercepted almost 259,000 counterfeit toys worth more than £3.5m, including 236,000 fake versions of Pop Mart’s toothy, fluffy Labubu dolls.
Most of the seized toys – 75% – failed safety tests with banned chemicals and choking hazards found, while 46% of the people who bought them experienced serious safety issues, the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) reported.
Labubu dolls have exploded in popularity among children and adults after going viral on social media. They are also favoured by celebrities including Rihanna, and many owners like to attach the dolls to handbags or backpacks.
A hidden market has emerged to meet demand. Counterfeit Labubu dolls are poorly made and unsafe, containing small detachable parts such as eyes, hands and feet, which present a serious choking hazard to young children, the Chartered Trading Standards Institute said last month.
Helen Barnham, the deputy director of enforcement at the IPO, said: “With counterfeit toys, what you see is rarely what you get. Behind the packaging can be hidden choking hazards, toxic chemicals and faulty parts that put children in real danger. These products have bypassed every safety check the law requires, which is why we’re working with our partners to keep these dangerous fakes out of UK homes.”
A new campaign by the IPO in collaboration with leading toy retailers, local authorities and social media influencers aims to raise awareness among parents and gift buyers of the hidden harms associated with counterfeits.
Research for the IPO, which is the UK government body for intellectual property rights, found nearly half (46%) of those who bought counterfeits reported problems ranging from toys breaking almost instantly to unsafe labelling, toxic smells and even reports of illness in children.
The IPO said the Labubu trend was just the tip of the iceberg: criminals involved in counterfeiting are targeting a wide range of toys across different categories, leaving children exposed to unsafe, poor-quality products.
Beth Turbutt-Rogers, a parenting influencer, said: “As a parent you just want the peace of mind that the toys you buy are safe for your children. What looks like a bargain can turn out to be something unsafe or even dangerous. With so many people buying toys online now, it can be even harder to spot the fakes. You can’t hold the toy in your hands or check the packaging properly. That’s why this campaign matters: it gives parents like me the confidence to know what to look for, so we can protect our kids.”
Consumers can reduce the risk of buying counterfeit toys by sticking to trusted retailers, checking reviews carefully, and being wary of prices that seem too good to be true.
Toy buyers should look for a UKCA (UK Conformity Assessed) or CE (Conformité Européenne) mark, a UK contact address, and ensure the packaging and build quality look professional. Any unsafe or fake toys should be reported to the sales platform and Trading Standards, and never given to children.
