More than 54,000 ‘dangerous’ teddy bears destroyed over choking hazard fears

'Upon examination it was clear that the bears were dangerous as eyes were falling off the product during inspection,' says trading standards officer

More than 54,000 teddy bears have been destroyed in Suffolk after they were deemed dangerous for children.

The teddy bears, which were made in China, had been imported to the UK for sale but were disposed of after an inspection at the Port of Felixstowe in Suffolk identified the bears’ hard plastic eyes and noses as potential choking hazards.

Officers involved in the inspection expressed further concerns that the bears would be sold as Christmas presents for children under three, who would be at a high risk of choking.

The multicoloured bears were thought to be destined for arcades and fairs in the UK.

But they were all destroyed on 20 November by a high speed shredder in Needham, Suffolk.

“Upon examination it was clear that the bears were dangerous as eyes were falling off the product during inspection,” a spokesperson for Suffolk Trading Standards told the BBC.

Another 120 larger bears that had also been imported from China were destroyed as well after they were deemed a suffocation hazard due to their stuffing.

The larger bears were subsequently shredded on 8 October.