Hot water bottles which could have killed young children have been seized at the Port of Dover.

Trading Standards officers seized and later destroyed 1,200 of the furry dog bottles after they arrived on a lorry at the port.

The bottles were so dangerous any leaking water would be live - and could electrocute a youngster.

Details on the packaging of the bottles – designed as a furry dog and clearly intended for use by children - gave clues they were likely to be unsafe.

They included: claims of a 16-litre capacity (up to 10 times the capacity of the average electric kettle); a 60-minute timer; and three cooking functions.

An electrical safety expert called in by KCC Trading Standards examined the hot water bottles and found numerous faults.

These included:

• the way they work is that mains electricity is passed through the water in the bottle; to heat it up, which is against the relevant safety standard;
• any leaking water would be “live” and could lead to electrocution;
• there was insufficient insulation to protect the user from electric shock;
• the cable used was not adequate in size or capacity for the load; and
• the construction of the cable was not safe because wrong connecting devices are used.

“They originated from China and carried a delivery address in Hamburg, but we can’t say with any certainty where they would have ended up" - Mark Rolfe

There was also a fear the water could boil in the bag - which could then either burst or leak out.

KCC Trading Standards manager Mark Rolfe said the 1,250 hot water bottles were taken from a lorry after they were presented at Dover for clearance into the EU.

“They originated from China and carried a delivery address in Hamburg, but we can’t say with any certainty where they would have ended up,” he said.

“Working with our partners at the UK Border Force, this is part of our ongoing work at the borders to protect consumers in Kent, the UK and they wider EU.”

The consignment also included clothes, phone cases, batteries, vegetable cutters and LED lamps. The 1050 LED lamps were also found to be unsafe and were re-exported.