Overview
- Passengers have reported cases pulled for inspection, extra swabs or drug tests, and occasional confiscations after scanners flagged liquid-filled squishy toys, a pattern described by multiple travellers.
- Airports say the toys are not banned but must clear security screening and advise packing all but very small squishy toys in hold luggage to avoid hand-luggage liquid rules.
- Hillingdon Council trading standards seized about 500,000 squishy toys at Heathrow and Aberdeen City Council removed more than 1,000 potentially dangerous versions from shops, citing missing UKCA/CE marks and poor traceability.
- Screening staff must estimate volume because the toys lack measurement markings, which has led to inconsistent handling across airports, with some returning items after checks and others disposing of them.
- A separate viral trend of microwaving the toys has already caused injuries, increasing safety warnings and heightening the risk of delays and upset for families, including children with special needs.