By GB News (World News) | Created at 2026-10-03 15:05:42 | Updated at 2026-10-03 15:50:42
49 minutes ago
Parents are being warned about potentially dangerous “squishy” toys being sold online with medical syringes and sharp needles, amid growing concern over products popular among children.
The sensory toys, frequently promoted as “fidget” products intended to help children relax or concentrate, have gained traction on social media.
Some are supplied with syringes that allow users to pump air into the toys, alter their texture or create bubbles that can then be burst.
Consumer protection officials are now investigating the products after concerns were raised about the risks posed by the needles.
The Telegraph identified a case in which a child required treatment at A&E, after accidentally piercing a finger with a sharp needle supplied with a "pimple popper" squishy toy.
Kate Dearden MP, the minister for consumer protection, said her department was looking into the issue, and warned that products capable of harming children should not be sold online.
"I know parents will be deeply concerned by them too, which is why my department is actively investigating this issue", she confirmed.
One product available through a third-party Amazon seller comes equipped with a capped 5ml medical syringe.
Consumer protection officials are now investigating the products after concerns were raised about the risks posed by the needles
GETTY
Its advertising images showed the toy being used in a young child’s bedroom, but neither the listing nor the packaging carries an age restriction or safety warning.
Another set of four sand-filled squishies is shipped with a syringe, despite conflicting age information.
Its online description says the product is unsuitable for children under 14, while the packaging states: "Age 3+".
Similar products sold by third-party sellers on AliExpress, the Chinese online retailer, can also be found with syringes either shown in promotional photographs, referred to in product descriptions or mentioned by customers in reviews.
Kerry Nicol, of the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI), said the inclusion of medical equipment with toys aimed at children represented a serious safety concern.
She said: "When a product that is very much aimed at children comes with a needle and syringe, something has gone seriously wrong.
"Children are being exposed to unnecessary risks because dangerous products can too easily enter the UK market through third-party sellers."
Authorities in Singapore, Thailand and Taiwan have recently issued warnings about needles supplied with squishy toys, with the CTSI urging UK online marketplaces to take action.
Ms Nicol said online marketplaces should not regard themselves merely as "passive intermediaries", while Katrina Phillips OBE, chief executive of the Child Accident Prevention Trust, said: "Online marketplaces should have the same duty of care as the shops on our high streets."
Amazon said it was "shocked" by the findings and had removed the products identified, adding that safety was a "top priority" and measures were in place to prevent non-compliant products being listed.
AliExpress also said children’s safety was a "top priority", and that the listings identified had been removed and a recall process begun, including contacting customers who had bought the products.
The retailer added that it was introducing a UK-wide ban on toys supplied with sharp needles and carrying out a "targeted review" of similar listings.
