North Ayrshire Council’s Trading Standards seized over 370 counterfeit Labubu products from two outlets in Irvine town centre this week.
The popular Pop Mart mini monster toys have become hugely popular with youngsters, but their money-making potential has seen a high number of counterfeit products entering Scotland.
North Ayrshire Trading Standards said it would carry out further checks over the coming weeks, warning that there were serious safety issues with the counterfeits as they hadn’t passed the UK Toy Safety regulations and had small parts that could be a choking hazard.
Councillor Alan Hill, Cabinet Member for Communities, Housing and Islands, said:
“These counterfeits need to be stopped and we are delighted with the work being carried out by the Trading Standards team. We would urge any retailer selling any of these items to think again as we will be stepping up our efforts over the coming days. It might look like a good deal, but these dolls are usually really poor quality and made with inferior materials and are not made to last at all. Not only that, they could also cause a serious accident to young people.”
Some of the signs of a fake include overly vibrant colours and an incorrect teeth count, with authentic Labubus having exactly nine.
Retailers with concerns should contact their local Trading Standards.
