Thousands of hoverboards - tipped to be one of this year's most popular Christmas presents - have been seized by authorities over concerns they could explode.
National Trading Standards (NTS) said 15,000 of the 17,000 self-balancing scooters examined since October 15 had been detained, mainly for having non-compliant electrical components that could explode or catch fire.
Many of the boards were found to have non-compliant plugs without fuses, which increase the risk of the device overheating, exploding or catching fire, and cut-off switches which failed when tested.
Chargers, cabling and batteries were also found to fail safety standards.
Many of the seized items carried apparently fake CE marking, and NTS advised that "unfortunately consumers cannot rely on the CE mark as an indication that a hoverboard is safe".
NTS said there had been a "huge spike" in the number of hoverboards arriving into the UK in recent weeks, destined to end up as Christmas gifts, and additional staff were being trained to carry out testing.
Last month Kent Trading Standards warned about dangerous replicas of hoverboards - popularised by Marty McFly in the 1980s film Back To The Future starring Michael J Fox - selling for hundreds of pounds cheaper than the normal price of £300 to £600 on auction sites and social media accounts.
In Deal, Kent, one hoverboard bought online caught alight while charging, causing some £25,000 worth of damage to the owner's kitchen.
NTS chairman Lord Toby Harris said: "Our teams at sea ports, postal hubs and airports have seen a significant spike in the number of unsafe hoverboards arriving at national entry points in recent weeks and are working around the clock to prevent dangerous items from entering the supply chain.
"We suspect that most of these products are being imported for onward sale domestically as Christmas approaches. We urge consumers to be on their guard when purchasing these products and advise you read our product safety checklist to help ensure you are not purchasing a dangerous item."
Consumer Minister Nick Boles said: "Shoppers should think twice before choosing products from a site that does not appear genuine, and the checklist that National Trading Standards has produced is extremely useful.
"I urge anyone who suspects a hoverboard not to be genuine to report it to the Citizens Advice consumer helpline."
Consumers should check that the three pin plug on the device states it is made to BS 1363 and avoid buying it if this information is missing.
They should also:
- never leave the device charging unattended, especially overnight. A faulty cut-off switch or plug without a fuse - seen in many of the seized boards - could lead to it overheating, exploding or catching fire.
- check the shape of the plug. The first unsafe boards identified often had a clover-shaped plug.
- check for online reviews that seem genuine and for information about the company's head office and landline number. Sites that have spelling or grammar mistakes, including in the small print, can be an indication that it is not a professional operation.
- never be dazzled by a bargain. If the price is too good to be true, it probably is.
- report any concerns to Citizens Advice on 03454 04 05 06.
Humberside Police issued a warning saying people could be breaking the law if hoverboards are ridden on public footpaths or public roads.
A spokesman said the Highways Act 1835 prohibits them from being used on the pavement and, as vehicles, they would need to comply with construction and use regulations whilst being properly insured before they can be used on a public road.
Casualty Reduction Officer Simon Carlisle said: "Officers will use discretion when policing personal transporters and will take an educational, advisory and non-confrontational approach when enforcing this legislation.
"Officers will be offering guidance and advice on where they can and cannot use these devices and to ride responsibly. However, if this guidance is continually ignored officers have the right to seize devices and report users for prosecution.
"Our concern is keeping both the public and users safe whilst educating everybody that these devices cannot be used on a public road or pavement."
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here