A toy called magnetic putty has been removed from Amazon’s website over concerns that it contains dangerously high levels of arsenic.
Testing found that the bag of putty with a small cube magnet contained seven times the permitted amount of the poison.
Northamptonshire trading standards barred it from sale on Wednesday after discovering it on a market stall. Amazon removed the item from its website yesterday.
According to trading standards officers, the magnet included in the banned toy, which has no manufacturer or importer identification, was found to be 29 times over the allowed magnetic force and could be “easily swallowed”. The product also contained twice the amount of permitted lead.
It was labelled as not suitable for children aged 0-3 years but did not include a CE mark to demonstrate compliance with EU safety, health and environmental requirements.
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NTS emphasised that only one product had been banned, not all magnetic putties. Amazon said: “All marketplace sellers must follow our guidelines.
“Those who don’t will be subject to action including potential removal of their account. The product in question is no longer available.”