'My son was injured when pushchair's brakes failed'

A mother who said her son had been injured after the brakes on his pushchair failed has called on the manufacturer to recall the popular model.

Holly Lansdowne, 30, said two-year-old Oscar had been left with bruises and cuts to his head when her Hauck Runner rolled away from her. Despite the brake being applied, the runaway pushchair landed on top of him as they walked near open water.

Ms Lansdowne, who lives near Ripon, said that since sharing her experience online, other parents had come forward to complain of similar safety concerns involving the product.

German company Hauck said it would carry out an inspection to "identify the root cause" of the incident.

Ms Lansdowne was walking with Oscar, her four-year-old son Charlie and their dogs when the incident happened at Cod Beck Reservoir near Osmotherley, North Yorkshire.

She said: "I was literally stood at the side of the pram, bent down and I just saw it going straight past me, so I threw everything on the floor and tried to catch it.

"Everything happened so quickly, the only thing that I thought was 'oh my goodness, is it going to go towards the water?'

"If it hadn't flipped when it did, it would've gone into the reservoir."

Ms Lansdowne bought the pushchair, which is described on the Hauck website as "robust all-terrain", for £150 from Argos in June.

"I've had [other] all-terrain pushchairs and I've never ever had this happen before," she said.

In an effort to raise awareness, the mother-of-two contacted the manufacturer, Trading Standards and Argos.

Ms Lansdowne said she had "major concerns" now as her social media post had prompted other parents to say they had encountered similar problems.

"I'm hoping that the pram is recalled, it should not be allowed on the market," she said.

"No parent should have to worry if their child is going to be safe when they've got a brake on the pram."

A spokesperson for Hauck said the company worked hard "to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children".

"All items are tested by independent test houses to ensure they meet or exceed the strict European safety standards for baby products," they said.

"We will contact the consumer directly to arrange collection and inspection of the product to identify the root cause of the incident."

North Yorkshire Council said it had been made aware of the complaint and inquiries were under way.

Head of Trading Standards Jo Boutflower said: “The safety of all consumer products, whether they are sold as new or second-hand, is controlled by strict regulations.

"If a product is inherently unsafe, it can be subject to a recall, suspension or withdrawal from the market."

A spokesperson for Argos said it had not received any other complaints of this nature and was in contact with Ms Lansdowne to support the manufacturer's investigation.

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