UK Recalls 30+ Children's Toys Over Asbestos in Sand

More than 30 children's toys sold across major UK retailers have been recalled after tests revealed traces of asbestos in sand sourced from China, prompting urgent safety alerts for parents.

The recalls affect products including candle-making kits, stretchy rubber toys, coloured play sand, and branded sets such as Tesco's Squishy Pugs and Funkee Sand toys, as well as Paw Patrol Sand Art kits sold by Tesco and Marks & Spencer. Matalan pulled Pug Dog and Sausage Dog toys, while Primark recalled its Stretcherz range, including Stretch Squad Dinos and Med Stetcherz. Other retailers involved include Hobbycraft, Asda, eBay, and Amazon. The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) has published a full list on its Gov.uk recalls page.

The issue surfaced last year in Australia, where 69 schools closed after coloured play sand tested positive for asbestos, a naturally occurring mineral in some Chinese deposits where safety standards are less stringent. In the UK, a parent prompted action by sending Hobbycraft sand samples—yellow, green, and pink—to a lab, which detected asbestos fibres. Subsequent investigations confirmed contamination in multiple products.