As many parents, grandparents and friends are starting to think about purchasing toys for the younger people in their lives we wanted to remind you that counterfeit toys can put children at risk.
In 2025 alone, 259,000 fake toys worth £3.5m have been seized at UK borders, with three in four failing safety checks. Behind the bright packaging, inspectors have found toxic chemicals, loose batteries and dangerous choking hazards.
Labubu dolls have been one of the most counterfeited toys so far this year, with more than 200,000 seized. Many looked convincing but carried serious risks – eyes, hands and feet that fell off easily, seams that split open with stuffing poking through, missing safety marks and materials that gave off strong chemical smells.
This is only the tip of the iceberg. Trading Standards has found unsafe copies across almost every type of toy. Action figures with paint laced with harmful chemicals. Electronic toys with loose battery compartments and wires sticking out. Dolls with arms that fall off at the first tug. Plushies filled with stuffing that can trigger breathing problems. If its popular, chances are someone has tried to fake it.
The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has launched the Fake Toys, Real Harms campaign this autumn to tackle the issue. This includes information on how to spot a fake, and what to do if you think you have purchased one.
