Customs officers are checking to see if a teddy bear that killed a baby in France is on sale in Hong Kong. Sales of the China-made toy were banned in France after a magistrate heard that a six-month-old boy choked to death on fibres from bear. As most stuffed toys sold here are made in China, an investigation was necessary, according to the head of the Trading Standards Investigation Bureau, Wong Ching-wai. 'We are gathering information to find out if we have this problem in Hong Kong and to establish how many have been sold. 'We have also sent officers to toy retailers to see if similar toys have any problems.' Connie Lam Yin-hing, chief researcher and testing officer for the Consumer Council, said toys sold in the territory had to meet international safety standards. 'We have to check the stuffing, and the stitching has to be strong. We will apply the tearing test,' she said. Ms Lam said that, under the Toys and Children's Products Safety Bill, the manufacturer, wholesaler and retailer all have a legal responsibility to produce safe toys. However, Ms Lam said the law did not provide 100 per cent protection.
