Council seizes nearly 600 unsafe toys, flags fake Labubu

Trading Standards officers removed nearly 600 illegal or unsafe toys from multiple premises in Cleethorpes over two days, and one of the clearest warning signs was a fake Labubu with its battery pack secured by gaffer tape. For collectors and parents, the message is blunt: the current Labubu boom has also opened the door to knockoffs that can slip into seaside shops, markets and discount retailers with safety problems hidden in plain sight.

North East Lincolnshire Council said the seized goods included soft toys, action figures and other items that raised multiple concerns at once. Some were potential choking hazards, others lacked the trademarks or labelling required under UK rules, and others were missing the CE marking or other compliance details used to show safety standards had been met. The council said the action was aimed at making sure traders were offering safe, legitimate products as summer shoppers and visitors filled the town.

Councillor James Sawkins, the portfolio holder for safer and stronger communities, backed the operation and praised Trading Standards for taking dangerous items off the streets. The council also urged the public to report anything suspicious so action can be taken quickly, a reminder that counterfeit toys are not just a collector’s nuisance but a consumer-safety problem.

The Cleethorpes seizure fits a wider pattern across the UK. In Fife, hundreds of counterfeit Labubu products were seized from stores last year, with trading standards warning that fake versions could contain loose parts, harmful chemicals and other defects that fail toy safety rules. In Bolton, officials flagged fake Labubu dolls that lacked CE or UKCA marks and UK supplier details. In Rhondda Cynon Taf, the giveaway was different but just as serious: missing or obviously wrong authenticity marks.

National figures show how big the problem has become. The Intellectual Property Office said 259,000 fake toys worth more than £3.5 million had been seized at the UK border so far in 2025, and 75% of those counterfeit toys failed safety tests. Of that total, 236,000 items, or 90%, were counterfeit Labubu dolls. The same campaign found that 92% of toy buyers knew counterfeits were being sold in the UK, but only 27% said safety affected what they bought.

The warning is not limited to Britain. The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued an urgent alert about fake Labubu plush dolls and keychains that could fit in a child’s mouth, block the airway and break apart into choking hazards. POP MART says genuine products can be verified through its official checks and official sales channels, and the gaffer-taped battery pack in Cleethorpes shows why that matters before a trendy collectible lands in a basket.