LED spinner recall prompts warning from father

This product's popularity may come at a high price.

FIDGET spinners - they're the latest craze spinning kids crazy, but their popularity could come at a high price one Gympie father says.

The LED Fidget Spinner, which was being sold in Western Australia by supplier Ace of Hearts, has been recalled due to the insecure button battery compartment.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission branded the popular product a hazard, warning:

"If young children gain access to the button batteries and ingest them, they may suffer internal burn injuries, which can result in serious illness and even death.

"In addition, the batteries may pose a choking hazard to young children."

Ashely Little said he bought one with the same design from a Mary St retailer and it came apart in his son's mouth.

He said after buying two last week he caught his seven-year-old son removing the caps of the toy with his teeth.

"When the cap popped off the LED light and button battery fell out. They could have easily fallen into his mouth," he told The Gympie Times.

A Gympie mother, who bought a traditional non-LED fidget spinner at the Gympie Show said within 10 minutes one of the small rings had come off her son's spinner. 

This LED Fidget Spinner has been recalled. Picture: Contributed

Consumer Protection has launched a probe into the new toys after an 11-year-old boy in Victoria reportedly suffered a serious eye injury from one of the models, ABC News reports, while a young girl in the United States was rushed to hospital for emergency surgery after swallowing small parts of one of the models.

After initially being marketed as helping children with ADHD and autism, the palm-sized spinners are the latest global must-have toy with more than 600,000 searches for the toy in the first week in May on Ebay.

With three prongs that spin on a central bearing, its the small moveable parts , particularly those that contain button batteries that pose a threat, Acting Commissioner for Consumer Protection WA David Hillyard said.

"The main issues under consideration is that these fidget spinners have small parts and, more concerning in some cases, appear to contain button batteries that can in some cases easily be dislodged presenting the risk of serious injury or even death for young children if swallowed," Mr Hillyard told ABC.

"Consumers are reporting that the batteries come out if the item is dropped and so too do small parts that make up the units which can pose a choking hazard.

"We are also assessing the different designs available, such as stars and blade-like spinners that appear to be growing in popularity.

"This is to assess any laceration or puncture risks that may be present due to their specific design."

Mr Hillyard said Consumer Protection would be working alongside the ACCC and other product safety regulators to ensure a consistent national approach to the issue.

If concerned, consumers are encouraged to return the product for a full refund.