Company fined for selling ‘potentially lethal’ baby baskets covered in ‘unsafe bling’ in Romford
Cllr Lesley Kelly said she was shocked by the baskets - Credit: Archant
A company which sold Moses baskets for babies covered in potentially lethal “unsafe bling” has been fined thousands of pounds, Havering Council said.
Shiny silver discs, glued to the bedding of the cot to give it a bling look, were easily detached, Havering Council found, and could potentially “have injured or even killed a small baby”.
The case was brought by the council following a complaint from a member of the public who had bought one of these baskets from a shop in Romford last year.
A test purchase was made by the council, which confirmed that the silver discs did easily come free.
The council sought the expert opinion of two paediatricians, who both agreed that the silver discs were a choking hazard. And one added that, being shiny and silver, the discs were very likely to attract the babies’ attention.
The council then seized all the remaining baskets on sale in the borough and issued a suspension notice to Country Cradles Ltd.
Country Cradles, based in Nottinghamshire, was found guilty of selling unsafe goods in its absence by Romford magistrates on Friday of last week, and were fined £2,000 with £3,000 costs.
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Speaking after the case, Cllr Lesley Kelly, cabinet member with responsibility for public protection, said: “I was shocked when I heard about this case.
“Commonsense tells you that babies need to be protected from choking hazards. The fact that small parts could easily come loose on the bedding, and could potentially have injured or even killed a small baby – it doesn’t bear thinking about.
“I’m delighted we have taken all these baskets off the shelves in Havering.”
