More than 8m fake and harmful toys have been seized from shops and markets across the EU in a pre-Christmas crackdown, Europol has said.

Hauls of fake dolls, building bricks, toy cars, colouring sets, cuddly toys that could pose fire hazards and educational games were removed across 26 countries.

The operation is the second in two years and brings the number of counterfeit toys seized by authorities to almost 17m, most of them from China. Europol, which coordinated the raids, said most of the toys seized “completely evaded the EU’s strict rules on products” intended for children.

They included fake toys “that can cause asphyxiation, suffocation, drowning, cuts, burns and exposure to chemical substances” in fabrics that are not legally compliant and “forever chemicals” that can be carcin

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