A million unsafe goods seized at Felixstowe Port

20 August 2019, 07:18 | Updated: 20 August 2019, 07:22

Nearly one million unsafe products have been prevented from entering the UK consumer market at the Port of Felixstowe in the last year.

Figures for 2018/19 show that 996,143 items across 670 product lines were targeted, assessed and detained, with an estimated value to society of over £23 million.

Products such as baby carriers, strollers, child car seats and electric hot plates have recently been detained.

The baby carriers were found to have non-compliant labelling, an easily detachable label which becomes a choking hazard and the leg openings were too wide meaning that a baby could fall out.

4 in 5 of the UK's consumer goods arrive in the UK by a container. Half of these enter via the Port of Felixstowe, making it the busiest entry point of its kind in the country.

Suffolk County Council is one of the few authorities to host a dedicated Imports Team, which is directly funded by National Trading Standards.