TOY SAFETY: Trading Standards issue urgent safety warning over viral TikTok ‘squishy dumpling’ toys

Parents are being warned to think twice before buying their children the latest TikTok toy craze — after Swansea Council‘s Trading Standards seized squishy dumpling toys from local shops and found they contained potentially hazardous chemicals.

The brightly coloured squeezy toys have swept through schools and social media feeds after being heavily promoted in unboxing videos and viral content, but Trading Standards officers say many of the products circulating in Swansea are failing basic safety tests.

Concerns were first raised by parents whose children were asking for the products — with many reporting that the toys gave off a strong chemical smell described as similar to petrol.

Officers examined a number of the products following the complaints and found that some were missing key legal requirements, including safety instructions explaining what to do if the product leaks or is punctured, a CE or UKCA safety mark, and the name and address of a UK-based responsible person such as an importer or manufacturer.

The missing responsible person detail is particularly significant — without it, officers may not be able to trace who is accountable for a product if safety concerns arise.

Products were subsequently seized from a number of retailers in Swansea and sent for laboratory testing. The results identified the presence of volatile organic compounds — including Ethyl Benzene, Styrene, m-Xylene, p-Xylene and o-Xylene — substances associated with the petrol-like smell parents had reported, and recognised as hazardous.

Rhys Harries, Swansea Council’s Trading Standards Officer, said: “These products are clearly attractive to children because they are being driven by online trends, but that does not mean they are safe.”

He added: “When a toy gives off a strong chemical smell and is missing basic safety information, that should ring alarm bells for parents and retailers alike. Our main concern is the risk posed to children if unsafe items end up in homes, school bags or play areas.”

The warning follows previous action by Trading Standards against fake Labubu toys — another viral product — which were identified and removed from sale in Swansea earlier this year.

Officers say the pattern is clear — as one online craze fades, another takes its place, and unsafe products can flood the market before regulators have time to act.

Mr Harries said: “Social media platforms such as TikTok can accelerate the spread of toy crazes almost overnight, but they can also help point Trading Standards towards the latest fake, unsafe or non-compliant products entering the market.”

He urged parents to buy from reputable retailers, check for correct safety markings and supplier details, and to be cautious about products promoted primarily through social media — however popular they appear.

Retailers are also being asked to check that any fast-moving trend products they stock meet legal safety requirements before putting them on sale.

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SWANSEA: Trading Standards secures conviction against company issuing fraudulent HGV medical certificates

A director whose company issued fraudulent medical certificates as part of HGV licence applications has been convicted following a years-long investigation by Swansea Council Trading Standards.

Andrew Eburne, 51, of Hill Rise, Burbage, Hinckley, was found guilty of operating a fraudulent business through his company Doctors on Wheels Ltd, which provided D4 medical certificates — a legal requirement for anyone applying for an HGV licence.

The investigation was triggered by concerns raised by the DVLA, which had spotted anomalies in certificates being submitted as part of HGV licence applications. Swansea Council Trading Standards worked alongside investigators from across the UK to build the case.

A D4 medical certificate confirms that a driver is physically and mentally fit to operate a heavy goods vehicle. It must be completed by a qualified medical professional — typically a GP or occupational health doctor — and covers eyesight, blood pressure, neurological conditions and a range of other health factors relevant to driving large vehicles safely.

HGV drivers are required to hold a valid D4 certificate when applying for a Group 2 licence, which covers lorries, buses and other large vehicles. The certificates must be renewed periodically as drivers age, with more frequent renewals required for older drivers.

Fraudulent certificates raise serious road safety concerns. An HGV driver who is unfit to drive but holds a falsely obtained licence poses a significant risk to other road users. The weight and size of heavy goods vehicles means that accidents involving them can have catastrophic consequences.

The fraudulent certificates raised the prospect of unfit drivers obtaining HGV licences, with potential consequences for road safety.

Rhys Harries, Swansea Council Trading Standards Team Leader, said the outcome demonstrated the value of close working between agencies. “We were able to show in court that D4 medical certificates were submitted to the DVLA with the intention of them being issued as part of a HGV licence application,” he said.

“Fortunately, due to the expertise shown by the DVLA in spotting these anomalies, along with our own investigation, we prevented this becoming a much more serious issue.”

Harries added that the case underlined the importance of ensuring medical certificates are properly completed by qualified professionals to help keep roads safe.

The DVLA is based in Swansea and is one of the city’s largest employers, responsible for maintaining records on more than 50 million drivers and 40 million vehicles across the UK. The agency’s role in spotting the anomalies that triggered the investigation was described by Trading Standards as central to the successful prosecution.

Anyone with concerns about a business operating unfairly or unlawfully can report it to Trading Standards via the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133.

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Seeing much more use of #spyGlasses by middle aged YouTuber men "auditing" #petrol stations in the #UK (either to check fuel quality or whether the pumps are accurate), some are now starting to covertly film staff as well (who are often brown people) which they weren't doing as much before..

We all know #fuel is bloody expensive and tax high - but #TradingStandards do a good job of checking up on #forecourts and have proper calibrated kit for this purpose.

British motorists have always moaned about price of petrol before I was born (let alone started driving), but it seems to have got worse in recent years (even before Trump's escalations) and seems to coincides with more #BritishAsian folk working in this industry (including becoming CEOs of fuel station chains)

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Serial rogue builder jailed again after £400k fraud left homes ‘virtually destroyed’

Lee Slocombe, 33, formerly of Delhi Street, Swansea, carried out dangerous and often pointless building work at properties in Cardiff, Bridgend and Swansea, defrauding nine victims of more than £400,000. When the cost of repairing the damage he caused was added, the total loss to homeowners was calculated at at least £547,000.

Cardiff Crown Court heard Slocombe was already on Crown Court bail when he committed the latest offences between March 2021 and May 2023. He pleaded guilty to two counts of participating in a fraudulent business — one personally, and one through his company, LSP Developments.

‘Appalling standard’ work left homes unsafe

Judge Felstead described Slocombe as a “persistent rogue builder” whose work was so poor that some homes were “virtually destroyed”. He repeatedly convinced customers that work was needed when it wasn’t, escalated costs without justification, and abandoned jobs halfway through — leaving families with huge repair bills.

In two cases, he even brought in a fake, unqualified gas engineer. One property was left leaking carbon monoxide where a 10‑month‑old baby lived.

Some victims were forced to take out loans, overdrafts or raid their pension pots to put their homes right. Several were elderly or vulnerable.

Slocombe used the false name “Lee Lewis” to hide his long history of dishonesty.

He was also handed a lifetime Criminal Behaviour Order banning him from carrying out any building, maintenance or gardening work in the UK, and disqualified from being a company director until 2031.

Cllr Norma Mackie, Cardiff Council’s Cabinet Member for Shared Regulatory Services, said:

“Lee Slocombe caused immense misery to his victims… The stress he caused is unimaginable, and he deserves to be sent directly back to prison.”

Not the first time: Swansea victims suffered too

This is far from Slocombe’s first appearance in the dock.

In 2023, he was jailed for five years and five months after defrauding seven Swansea families of more than £147,000 through his previous company, Kamlee Builders. Swansea Crown Court heard he destroyed homes, drained life savings and left properties in such a state that some were “a complete mess”.

One Swansea family paid more than £78,000 for work and repairs after going into “financial meltdown”. Another couple were charged £18,000 for a job a surveyor said should have cost less than £600 and taken an hour.

Swansea Council’s Trading Standards team began investigating him in 2018 after a complaint about damp work in Morriston that ballooned from a £1,000 quote to a £60,000 bill.

Cllr David Hopkins, Swansea Council’s Cabinet Member for Corporate Services, said at the time:

“The details of this case show an extremely disturbing level of dishonesty and appalling treatment towards families in Swansea.”

A decade of fraud — and now a lifetime ban

Slocombe’s criminal record stretches back to 2015, when he was jailed for 43 months for similar offences. Despite two prison sentences, he continued targeting homeowners across South Wales.

Regulators hope the lifetime ban will finally stop him.

Cardiff Council said the latest sentence should give victims “some closure”, while Swansea Council previously praised its Trading Standards team for ensuring “no other families will suffer at the hands of this rogue builder”.

Vape shop shut down again after £40k haul of illegal vapes and counterfeit tobacco in Pontarddulais

Swansea Council has shut down World of Vapes on St Teilo Street just weeks after the business reopened from an earlier enforcement action. The shop was originally ordered to close for three months in September 2025 following a city‑wide crackdown on illicit vape sales.

Repeat test purchases lead to new closure

Trading Standards officers returned to the shop in January after the temporary closure notice expired. Test purchases were carried out and counterfeit tobacco was sold to officers.

A further search of the premises — including the flat above the shop — uncovered a large quantity of illegal vapes and counterfeit tobacco with a combined street value of more than £40,000.

The shop worker responsible, Many Shahabi Karimi, has since pleaded guilty to multiple offences relating to the fraudulent sale of counterfeit goods. He has been remanded in custody and will be sentenced later this month.

Council says enforcement will continue

Rhys Harries, Trading Standards Team Leader at Swansea Council, said the latest discovery shows the scale of the problem:

“Test purchasing will continue to take place and we will use all available legal powers to ensure these shops are not selling illegal vapes or counterfeit tobacco.”

Cllr Andrew Williams, Swansea Council’s Cabinet Member for Corporate Services, accompanied officers on the latest visit.

He said:

“Our Trading Standards Team is working hard with local police to prevent these shops from trading in illegal and counterfeit goods. A number of those closed temporarily in September have not reopened and we are succeeding in disrupting this ongoing business.”

He added that the repeat closure of World of Vapes shows the council will continue to monitor premises even after temporary notices end:

“We will use our powers to close them down again.”

Part of wider crackdown on illegal vape sales

World of Vapes was one of nine shops shut during Operation Ceecee in September 2025 — a joint operation between Swansea Council and South Wales Police targeting the sale of illegal vapes and counterfeit tobacco across the city.

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