IKEA recalls children’s toys on choking hazard fears

The Swedish retailer has urged customers to bring back the Lattjo drum sticks or Lattjo tongue drum recommended for six year old children

Zlata Rodionova
Friday 15 January 2016 12:35 GMT
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IKEA has recalled a pair of potentially dangerous toys that could pose a choking hazard for children.

The Swedish furniture retailer has urged customers to bring back the Lattjo drum sticks or Lattjo tongue drum recommended for six year old children, after reports from the store workers that the ball on the drumsticks can detach or become unscrewed, creating the risk for choking.

Six cases of the rubber ball detaching from the stick were reported by IKEA staff, three came from Germany and one from Denmark, Spain and the Netherlands respectively. No incidents have been reported in the UK or elsewhere.

About 9,359 tongue drums and 4,930 drum sticks sets were sold globally and therefore recalled. In the UK nearly 400 drum sticks and over 500 tongue drums were recalled, IKEA told the Independent.

The company said risks were identified even though the products has been approved by safety standards.

Cindy Andersen, Business Area Manager for children’s products, said IKEA only develops products intended to stimulate children’s creativity and natural need for play.

“Children don’t think about safety when playing, so we need to do that when we develop products. Our mindset at IKEA is that we only sell products that we would give to our own children.

“Despite approved tests to relevant toy safety standards we are therefore precautionary recalling Lattjo drum sticks and Lattjo tongue drum to avoid the risk of any incidents,” Andersen said.

Customers who bought the products, available at all IKEA stores since November 2015, should keep them away from children and return them to IKEA for a full refund, the company has advised.

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