A national chain store selling dangerous lamps and kettles that could seriously injure users with an electric shock has been prosecuted by Westminster City Council.
Zoostation Ltd, which runs trendy homeware and accessories store, Octopus, in Carnaby Street and the Trocadero as well as other stores across London and in Bath, York, Leeds and Manchester, pleaded guilty to three offences of selling dangerous electrical goods at City of Westminster magistrates’ court earlier this month.
The electric wiring on the 240V metal lamps was so poorly insulted it could turn the appliance live and deliver a potentially lethal electric shock. The kettles were also badly designed meaning water could run down into the electric base and affect the wiring – again turning the product live.
Cllr Daniel Astaire, cabinet member for community protection, said: “These products were sold in a fashionable and national chain store where customers rightly expected products to be safe. “But this company failed to have these products tested properly and put customers at risk as a result.
“The swift action taken by our trading standards officers to remove these items from the market may well have saved lives.
“We hope that Zoostation will act responsibly and issue a product recall to ensure no one has one of these dangerous appliances at home. In the meantime, I would urge anyone who has bought any of these distinctive lamps and kettles to stop using them immediately and take them back.”
The company came to the attention of trading standards following a complaint in Manchester about a defective hairdryer and the case was referred to Westminster where the company’s main office is based.
Westminster’s trading standards officers sent sample lamps and kettles for testing by an expert electrical engineer, who confirmed the wiring was faulty and that the products were dangerous.
The officers then seized more than 2,700 lamps and kettles worth almost £80,000 from the chain’s 12 stores nationwide with help from trading standards officers in other regions. The lamps were on sale for £27.50 and £28 and the kettles were on sale for £30.
Zoostation Ltd was fined £7,000 and ordered to pay £12,000 in costs.