Six toys pulled from shelves in Qld after being deemed ‘choking hazard’ in pre-Christmas investigation

Six different toys have been taken off the shelves ahead of Christmas after investigators found they were a choking hazard to children.

Queensland parents have been warned of six toys which have been deemed choking hazards and removed from shelves after a major investigation ahead of Christmas.

The Queensland government’s Office of Fair Trading inspected over 5600 toy lines across 266 retailers and found six toys were unsafe for young children.

Two plush toys — one being a Paw Patrol toy and the other being a Squirrel toy nut — were among the items that will no longer be sold.

A wooden alphabet puzzle, a wooden number puzzle, a magnetic number puzzle and a rainbow circle stacker have been removed from shelves.

Small parts of this wooden alphabet puzzle were considered a choking hazard in children up to and including 36 months of age. Image: Supplied

Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman warned parents to be alert when shopping for Christmas presents this year.

She said parental supervision was the best way to keep children safe and recommended consumers be careful when buying toys from overseas as they may not meet safety standards.

“These six toys are now on Santa's very unsafe list,” Ms Fentiman said.

This Paw Patrol toy (not official merchandise) released stuffing from seams and on back and stomach. Image: Supplied

“Considering the huge number of toy lines inspected, it’s good to see a very low number of non-compliant toys were found, which shows most manufacturers and retailers are aware of and sticking to their obligations around consumer safety.

“However, just because thousands of toys have been checked, this isn’t a free pass on safety matters.”

She said consumers should beware of button batteries which can cause serious injuries or death if swallowed.

She also said to look out for small high-powered magnets — which are banned from sale in Australia — when choosing toys for children.

This rainbow circle stacker was one of the six toys removed from shelves in Queensland. Image: Supplied

“We need to remember the rule of size: The smaller the child, the bigger the toy should be,” Ms Fentiman said.

Each year, Queensland fair trading inspects thousands of toy lines to limit the number of dangerous toys exposed to children over the festive season.

If you suspect your child has swallowed or inserted a button battery, call the Poisons Information Centre immediately on 13 11 26.