Overview
- County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service issued a fresh safety warning on Thursday and published a video urging parents to check costume labels before Halloween.
- The Chartered Trading Standards Institute tested 11 children's costumes bought from third-party online sellers and found 10 failed to meet UK safety laws because they lacked warnings, proper manufacturer details, or safe design features.
- Officials say a genuine CE or UKCA mark should include a maker’s name or trademark and safety instructions, and the CTSI advises checking the shape of the letters to spot fake markings.
- Fire crews advise simple household steps to cut risk: use battery-powered LED lights instead of real candles in pumpkins, keep trailing fabrics away from open flames, prefer face paint to restrictive masks, and teach children to stop, drop and roll.
- The failures in online supply point to wider enforcement gaps, so parents are urged to buy from reputable retailers and inspect labels and warnings before letting children go trick-or-treating.