Easter egg decorations pulled from sale amid choking fears
Easter decorations that resemble edible sugar and chocolate eggs have been pulled from Poundland stores nationwide because of choking fears.
The budget chain said it removed packs of the Chinese-made foam eggs after trading standards warned children could swallow them by mistake.
The decorations are the same size and shape as small confectionary eggs.
Trading standards officers alerted the firm after it received a complaint about their sale at a shop in Surrey.
The eggs were likely to contravene food imitation safety rules, according to Surrey and Buckinghamshire Trading Standards.
Investigations and enforcement manager, Steve Playle, added: "These products could very easily be mistaken for Cadbury Mini Eggs by young children and swallowed, leading to dire consequences.
"They could be particularly difficult to remove if lodged in a child's throat because they are made of polystyrene and could mould to the shape of their airway making them difficult to remove in an emergency.
"We welcome the actions of Poundland in taking a potentially dangerous product off the shelves and would urge any parent who has already purchased a pack to keep it away from children."
A spokeswoman for West Midlands-based Poundland said: "Poundland is the first retailer to recognise these concerns and has taken every step to ensure this product could not be bought as food by mistake.
"The packs have been removed as an extra safety precaution."