OVER 160 PRODUCTS have been recalled from shop shelves this year over fears they contain asbestos.

Owners of any affected items have been urged to stop using them immediately, and keep them out the reach of children.

Child playing with pink kinetic sand.Asbestos has been found in 167 childrens products and homeware items since January Credit: Getty Collage of 12 assorted decorative doorstops, including animals and geometric shapes.Earlier this week, 12 novelty doorstops from John Lewis were pulled from shelves

Since the end of January, 167 children’s toys, arts and crafts sets, and novelty doorstops have been recalled for asbestos .

Sand inside the products was found to contain trace quantities of the banned substance, with the majority of affected items manufactured in China.

A host of retailers have been hit by the recalls, from brand Dunelm, to discount store B&M Bargains.

Earlier this week, the department store pulled over a dozen of its doorstops and draft excluders for this reason, after they had been sold in-stores for over five years.

Numerous stretchy toys, meant to be pulled and squeezed by children, have also been recalled from stores repeatedly throughout this period.

Many craft kits, containing tubes and sachets of coloured, decorative sand have also been part of multiple .

It has been illegal to import, export, sell, or use any forms of asbestos in the UK since 1999 due to well-known evidence that the substance is harmful, even in small quantities.

All forms of fibres are hazardous to humans, and can induce cancers and other lung-related illnesses following repeated inhalation exposure.

For any product that contains asbestos, the owners should stop using them immediately.

When the product has not been , it must be placed in a heavy-duty plastic bag, double taped, labelled, and stored in a secure location out of the reach of children.

If it is damaged, or the filling inside is accessible, the sand must be cleaned using wet cloths, wearing gloves and a mask – then, the cleaning equipment must be bagged securely in the same way.

should be kept away from the affected areas until they are completely clean.

Many offer customers a full refund when they return the contaminated product to its nearest store.

If unable to return the product, it is recommended to contact the local authority to get information on how to dispose of the items safely.

Full list of products recalled in UK over asbestos fears

Addo Play Limited

  • Out to Impress Creative Candles Kit, item code: 318-19180-B
  • Out To Impress Sand Art Creations, product number: 318-19149-B
  • Paw Patrol Bumper Craft Collection, item code: 320-14145-N
  • Paw Patrol Sand Art Pictures Kit, item code: 320-14142-N

Colour Day

  • Sand Art Activity Kit sold via eBay and Amazon, PSD number: 2602-0208

Colour Forge

  • Colour Forge Basing Sand (2 Colours – Moss Green and Atlantiko Blue), Hobbycraft product code: 6873931000

Commotion Ltd.

  • Tickit Sensory Blocks, batch code: 20034

Crayola

  • Hunter Price’s Crayola-Branded Discovery Craft Box, product code: 5061047355015
  • Hunter Price’s Crayola-Branded Touchy Feely Craft Box, product code: 5061047350522

Dunelm

  • Dunelm Novelty Doorstops (full list of 35 doorstops recalled in May 2026 )
  • Checkerboard Doorstop, product code: 30961034
  • Herringbone Doorstop, product code: 30960889
  • Huxley the Hedgehog Doorstop, product code: 30971884
  • Pumpkin Doorstop, product code: 30968790
  • Rowan the Robin Doorstop, product code: 30971912

Forever Shiny Limited – Sand-Filled Weirdo Toys

  • Dog, item number: F-SDWDOG-1P
  • Frog, item number: F-SDWFROG-1P
  • Gorilla, item number: F-SDWGORIL-1P
  • Green Head Fish, item number: F-SDWGRFISH-1P
  • Mule, item number: F-SDWMULE-1P
  • Pig, item number: F-SDWPIG-1P
  • Pineapple Duck, item number: F-SDWPDUCK-1P
  • Poopman, item number: F-SDWPOOP-1P
  • Rabbit, item number: F-SDWRABB-1P

Galt

  • Nature Craft Kit, barcode: 5011979623997
  • Sand Stickers Craft Kit, barcode: 5011979623812

Habico Ltd

  • 350g Jars of Coloured Sand (Regular Purple, Regular Brown, Pastel Yellow, Fluorescent Green, Fluorescent Orange, Fluorescent Blue (Dark), Regular Black, Pastel Light Pink, Regular Dark Green, Fluorescent Pink), PSD case number: 2606-0268

HGL

  • Stretchy Sand Monster Truck/Car Toys, barcode: 5021813218894
  • Stretchy Sand Pig Toy, barcode: 5021813217954

Hobbycraft

  • Hobbycraft Easter Bumper Craft Kit, product code: 6835991000
  • Hobbycraft Giant Box of Craft, product numbers: 6686021000, 6505261000, 6099201000, 6597221000 and 6606171000
  • Hobbycraft Sand and Pom Pom Art Kit, product code: 6669851000

Home Bargains

  • Craft Time Sand Art Bracelets sold by Home Bargains, product code: 47805
  • Stretchy Gorilla Toys sold by Home Bargains, product code: 10891865 (small), 1087783 (XL)

HTI Toys

  • Full list of affected Stretcherz Toys in Annex A here (39 products in total)
  • HTI Toys Fun Sand Art Bottle Kit, barcode: 5050837373315

Hunter Price

  • Squishy Pugs, product code: 22782ENT
  • Squishy Sausage Dogs, product code: 22776

John Lewis & Partners

  • Draught Excluder Grey, product code: 57090506
  • Draught Excluder Navy, product code: 57090502
  • Draught Excluder Stripe, product code: 57090509
  • Duck Doorstop, product code: 57090429
  • Elephant Doorstop, product code: 57090428
  • Felt Doorstop, product code: 57090420
  • Frog Doorstop, product code: 57090427
  • Fusion Doorstop, product code: 57090426
  • Gingerbread Doorstop, product code: 57090424
  • Grey Stripe Doorstop, product code: 57090423
  • Llama Doorstop, product code: 57090421
  • Patterned Navy Doorstop, product code: 57090409
  • Pig Doorstop, product code: 57090421
  • Sausage Dog Doorstop, product code: 57090420
  • Snowman Doorstop, product code: 57090425

Kids Create

  • Sand Art Kit, barcode: 5012128618222

KTL (formerly Kandy Toys)

  • 2.2kg Squishy Hot Colour Gorilla Toy, barcode: 5063389048716
  • 2pc Balloon Dog Toy, barcode: 5063389102319
  • 3Pcs Test Tube Science Kit, barcode: 5033849986032
  • 6″ Stretchy Monster 6 Assorted Stretchy Toys, barcode: 5033849995485
  • Decorative Glass Bottle of Sand, barcode: 5063389109462
  • Glitter and Glow Magical Sand Art Kit, barcode: 5033849865252
  • Kreative Kids! Jumbo Craft Box, barcode: 5033849045425
  • Sensory Science Kit, barcode: 5033849928803
  • Squeezy Splatter Pig, barcode: 5063389048747
  • Squishy Stretchy Capybara, barcode: 5063389048907
  • Stretchy Dog Toys, barcode: 5033849929411
  • Stretchy Poop Toy, barcode: 5033849027407

My Living

  • My Living World Worm Kit, product number: LW102C

ORB

  • ORB Funkee Sand Toys, full list in Annex A here (13 products in total)

Scrunchems

  • Scrunchems Stretchies Sleepy Dino Toy, barcode: 5038728153109

Smyths Toys

  • Dig In Kit GOLD, item code: 231105
  • Dig In Treasure Dig and Discover Play Gold Treasure Chest, item code: 242645
  • Dig It Up Pirates 13 Treasure Set, item code: 223521
  • Dino Dig Sensory Bin, item code: 248772
  • Gem Dig Kit (12 Gem Pack), item code: 187539
  • Gem Dig Kit 8 Pack, item code: 187538
  • Let’s Dig Out Dinosaur Eggs (10pc), item code: 166403

Texet

  • Texet Bright Start Coloured Crafting Sand Pack of 20, barcode: 5060955510875
  • Texet Bright Start Fluorescent Coloured Craft Sand Pack of 6, barcode: 5060955510899

The Original Factory Shop Novelty Doorstops

  • Dog (Brown), article code: 10552082
  • Dog (Grey), article code: 10522327
  • Elephant, article code: 10502202
  • Highland Cow, barcode: 5057722706128

WOODEN QIYI

  • Sand Activity Toy sold via AliBaba, Model: 1005008843242014-12000046913158791

Eze Chidiebere Paul

Eze Chidiebere Paul

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