Westminster trading standards took nearly 200 fakes off one Victoria shop after a mother reported a chemical smell. What to check before you buy a squishy toy.

Westminster trading standards officers seized nearly 200 counterfeit squishy toys from a single US-style candy store in Victoria after a mother reported that her eight-year-old daughter’s toy smelled of chemicals.

The council published the seizure on Wednesday 3 September. It says the West End is now “awash with fakes” as sellers rush to cash in on the craze.

What was taken, and what tipped it off

The complaint came from a parent. Her daughter had a toy branded a “NeeDoh nice cube” and complained of a foul chemical smell coming from it. Officers believed the toy was a fake because the packaging was incorrectly labelled.

The haul from that one shop carried branding from companies that have nothing to do with the toys. The council names:

  • Starbucks
  • McDonald’s
  • Sprite
  • Coca Cola

None of them endorse the toys, the council says.

Cllr Caroline Sargent, the council’s Deputy Leader and cabinet member for enforcement, said: “Thanks to a call from one quick-thinking mum, we were able to take a haul of these fake and potentially unsafe toys off the streets.”

She added: “The pirates see easy money in copycatting the craze toy of the moment. These toys often look like food and contain unknown chemicals which could also pose a real risk to young children as well.”

The council did not name the shop.

The national register shows what is inside them

The council’s warning about “unknown chemicals” is not a guess. The Office for Product Safety and Standards publishes every product safety report and recall on a public register, and squishy toys have been on it constantly this year.

Counting from that register, 15 squishy toy notices have been published in 2026, and three of them landed in the first four days of September alone.

Squishy toy safety notices published in 2026 Bar chart of Office for Product Safety and Standards notices about squishy toys in 2026. January none, February one, March two, April none, May one, June one, July four, August three, and three in the first four days of September. Fifteen in total. Squishy toys are now a standing item on the product safety register Product safety reports and recalls naming squishy toys, by month of publication, 2026. 01234 012011433 JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSep to the 4th Source: Office for Product Safety and Standards, product safety alerts, reports and recalls register, counted 5 September 2026. Graphic by The Westminster Post
Fifteen notices so far this year. Four came in July, and three in the first four days of September.

The hazards named in the three most recent are specific:

  • A Jumbo Duck Mega Squishy, reported on 4 September, was rated a high risk of asphyxiation. Its plastic bag was bigger than 100mm by 100mm and 0.022mm thick, against a minimum of 0.038mm. The import was rejected at the border and destroyed.
  • A Rainbow Mystery Squishy Bun sold via Amazon, reported on 2 September, was found on testing to contain volatile organic compounds including xylenes and styrene, with no valid documentation showing the chemical risk had been assessed. The listing was removed and the import rejected.
  • A Glitter Ice Cube Squeezy Toy, reported on 10 August and described as coloured squishy cubes filled with liquid and glitter, was found to have liquid filling containing aerobic microbials, yeast and mould above the permitted limit, plus small parts that detach and can choke a child. Required labelling, including UKCA and CE marking, was missing.

All three were judged to fail the Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011. Two of the three were notified by local authority trading standards teams, which is the same kind of work Westminster did in Victoria.

The microwave problem

The council also flagged a second hazard that has nothing to do with counterfeiting.

A craze on TikTok has children putting squishy toys in the microwave to make the gel inside more squashable. The council says that has in some cases made the toys explode and left children with burns.

What it means for you

  • Check the packaging before you buy. The council’s advice is to look for a CE mark or a UKCA mark, plus the manufacturer’s details and the UK importer’s details. Its officers found that some packaging displayed no details at all, and that fakes often do not name the UK importer or give a contact address.
  • A chemical smell is a reason to stop using it. That is what triggered this seizure. The regulator’s own testing on comparable toys has turned up xylenes and styrene in one product and microbial contamination in another.
  • Do not microwave them. Whatever TikTok says.
  • Report it. The council directs consumers to the Citizens Advice consumer service on 0808 223 1133 if you are in doubt about the safety or authenticity of a toy.
  • You can check a product yourself. The government’s product safety register is public and searchable, and it names brands, importers and, where sold online, the ASIN.

Frequently asked questions

How can I tell if a squishy toy is fake?

Westminster City Council’s advice is to check the packaging for a CE mark or a UKCA mark, and for the manufacturer’s details and the UK importer’s name and contact address. Its officers found that some of the seized packaging displayed no details at all, and that fakes often leave out the UK importer entirely.

Are squishy toys dangerous?

Some are. The Office for Product Safety and Standards has published 15 notices about squishy toys in 2026. The hazards it has recorded include a high risk of asphyxiation from an under-thickness plastic bag, volatile organic compounds including xylenes and styrene found on testing, liquid fillings contaminated with aerobic microbials, yeast and mould, and small parts that detach and can choke a child.

Is it safe to microwave a squishy toy?

No. Westminster City Council says a TikTok craze has led children to microwave squishy toys to soften the gel inside, and that in some cases the toys have exploded and children have been burned.

Who do I report a suspect toy to?

The council directs consumers to the Citizens Advice consumer service on 0808 223 1133. Citizens Advice passes reports to trading standards.

Which shop were the toys seized from?

The council has not named it. Its statement says only that the toys came from one US-style candy store in Victoria.

Sources