More than 50,000 'dangerous' teddy bears destroyed

More than 50,000 "dangerous" teddy bears imported to the UK have been destroyed.

About 54,000 small toys from China were seized over choking hazard fears following an inspection at the Port of Felixstowe in Suffolk.

Another 120 large bears, also from China, destined to be sold online have also been destroyed.

Suffolk Trading Standards officers were concerned some of the bears would have been sold as Christmas presents.

The hard, plastic eyes and noses on the animals were identified as a potential choking hazard, especially for children under three.

"Upon examination it was clear that the bears were dangerous as eyes were falling off the product during inspection," a spokeswoman for Suffolk Trading Standards said.

The majority of the multi-coloured bears were thought to be destined for arcades and fairs across the UK and were destroyed by a high speed shredder in Needham Market, Suffolk on 20 November.

The larger bears were identified as a suffocation hazard because their stuffing was easily accessible from the back.

They were shredded on 8 October.